The ABCs of Natsu and Erza
by Nightlingbolt
Summary: Twenty-six moments, twenty-six memories. One Dragon. One Knight. One love. Chapters rated T or lower unless otherwise specified. - Final Chapter!
1. A is for Awestruck

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to Chapter A of my Natsu/Erza alphabet challenge!**

**Now, the way I'm doing this is that I came up with twenty-six prompts, one for each letter of the alphabet, and I plan to write one-shots based around those prompts. And this is Prompt A, as in Awestruck. So, without further ado, enjoy!**

**Chapter Rating: K+**

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><p>Every time Erza looked at Natsu, She was awestruck.<p>

Erza didn't know when it started. She had thought it was a fleeting feeling, born of the heat of the moment, and would die out with time. But circumstances would more often than not bring that feeling to the surface, somehow stronger than ever.

It was love, no doubt about it. Yes, she had felt love before, but she knew from bitter experience that it would only lead to suffering. Her childhood had been totally defined by love, and the betrayal that came with it. But part of her knew that this love was not something to be afraid of.

For it was love for Natsu Dragneel.

It started a long time ago. She couldn't say when, but there was something about the Dragon Slayer she found adorable, though that didn't equate love. Still, it was a place to start.

Her feelings were made quite clear when Natsu barged in on her trial, dressed in her exact likeness, damning them both to a night in prison. And what a night it was – they hadn't done anything, of course, but being around him was comforting, like the worries of the world were as far behind her as they were behind him.

Then came the fated night – the battle of the Tower of Heaven, against her first love, Jellal, twisted by what she thought was the Dark Mage Zeref. She had quickly gained the upper hand, but in the end, she was held back by love. Perhaps if she had done the deed, Siegrain would have disappeared, prompting the Council to realize something was wrong, and halt the firing of the Etherion posthaste.

But no. Her love had doomed everyone she had ever cared about. That is, until _he_ showed up. That lovably idiot, idiotically lovable Salamander with the pink hair.

Natsu. Her Natsu. The dragon that had unknowingly become her knight in shining armor.

His simple presence was enough to shatter the world around them, if only for a moment. Just like that night they spent in jail.

He fought on par with Jellal for a time, a feat that was impressive in and of itself. After all, "Siegrain" had been one of the Ten Wizard Saints by himself, and he was only half of Jellal's true power. But that's not what awed Erza.

Natsu was only that powerful because he was fighting to protect _her._ For her sake, he defied the odds, went to extremes never ventured by any other mage before him, the greatest of which was eating Etherion. That power boost was more than enough to defeat Jellal and put an end to his evil ambition.

But then, the tower became unstable, which left Erza no choice but to sacrifice herself to save everyone. Of course, Natsu would have none of that, and so went in after her.

Looking back, Erza didn't know whether the vision of her own funeral was what could have been or what her subconscious wanted to believe, but Natsu was the only one who refused to accept her death. He spoke of her with the furor of a lover.

And then, she woke up in Natsu's arms. The only thought she had in that situation was that she was safe, and no one would hurt her as long as he held her close. She had only felt safe in armor before now – not even Gray could calm her fears – and that seemed to drive home the point that she was in love with Natsu Dragneel beyond a shadow of a doubt.

She had wondered if Natsu had felt the same way about her, or whether that was just his hero complex driving him. But her fears were laid to rest when, during his Etherion-induced sickness, she had asked him if everything he'd done was worth the pain and suffering he was feeling.

Natsu had smiled weakly and said, "For you, what isn't?"

Four simple words, but they had had so much meaning.

People knew for a fact that Natsu was afraid of Erza, and he wanted to surpass her, perhaps even more than he wanted to find Igneel. In Erza's mind, if there was any justice in the world, she would be afraid of Natsu, and he would be the S-Class mage that she wanted to be. But of course, the need to get stronger had been greater in her, and if she hadn't been a Tower of Heaven slave, if she hadn't felt the need to stop Jellal, Natsu would've long since surpassed her.

That knowledge only made her love him more.

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><p>Every time Natsu looked at Erza, he was awestruck.<p>

Natsu didn't know the first thing about the fairer sex when he came to the guild seven years ago. Still, he knew for a fact that the scarlet-haired mage was truly beautiful, if not a little scary.

He didn't know what made Erza take such an interest in him, but he thanked God she did. Once upon a time, they were equals, though Erza was clearly stronger. So strong, in fact, that she became an S-Class mage within a year of his joining.

It was then that Natsu decided that he would defeat Erza, his scarlet inspiration, and prove himself worthy of her praise.

But as pretty as Erza was, the thing that made her truly beautiful was her personality – stern but kind, truly befitting of one dubbed Queen of the Fairies. She wasn't afraid to threaten force if need be, yet she never let it go to her head. To her, the mere fact that you were a member of Fairy Tail made you her equal in her eyes.

Natsu was lucky enough to call Erza a friend, but until he defeated her in battle, he would keep his true feelings to himself, though he had almost let the secret slip on a few occasions, his favorite being his Etherion-induced illness. He felt like crap during that time, but Erza's smiling face made it all worth it.

Just before the S-Class Trials, however, they shared a moment of reflection that had somehow ended with them kissing each other. It was nothing, just a soft, innocent kiss on the lips. They hadn't brought it up again, but that kiss only reaffirmed his drive to defeat her, and to prove he was someone who could take care of her.

After all, he promised he would. And he would keep that promise, come hell or high water.

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><p><strong>I wanted to add another section about their daughter, but I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't be repeated in the next chapter, B for Baby, so until then, please remember to review, fave, sub, or even all three. Until then, peace and love from Nightlingbolt!<strong>


	2. B is for Baby

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to The ABCs of Natsu and Erza! Today's chapter is B as in Baby!**

**Now, I just want to say a few things before we start: First of all, this is my most trafficked story in the first week alone! I sincerely thank you all for making that possible, but it's not enough! I'm baring my soul to you guys through my work, and reviews let me know how I'm doing. On that note, I've also disabled anonymous reviews. I know it's kind of counterproductive to what I just said about reviews, but most anonymous reviews are either "cool story bro" or "love this pairing," and they don't tell me anything about how I can improve as a writer. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I'm doing, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it. It's just that the average reader only notices spelling and grammar without any regard to plot or flow, and those are the kinds of things I obsess over, so if I could find just one reader who can tell me what I can do to make my plots flow better and, ultimately, enable me to tell a better story, well, a review like that would be worth a million reviews saying that they like my story.**

**Also, I had just noticed while looking at my traffic, but today marks the four year anniversary of my first real contribution to , Blaze. I'm not one for anniversaries, but I can't help but think I've matured as a writer over the last four years, and that's always a good thing. I might even do a version of Blaze with my Emboar from my Pokemon Black game if I can think of 30 good sentences, but that's something for another day.**

**I think I've rambled on enough, so I'll close this little note with the disclaimer I forgot in the last chapter:**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. I do, however, own Faye Dragneel.**

**This chapter is rated T for language and a violent Erza.**

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><p>One year ago, Natsu and Erza Dragneel had welcomed a baby girl named Faye into their lives. Of course, the mages of Fairy Tail were just as enthusiastic as the parents. The last year had been nothing but a joy for everyone who knew the family, and everyone was always willing to lend a helping hand.<p>

However, being new parents affected their work as mages. Natsu and Erza always took it in shifts for one of them to take a mission to provide for their daughter and the other to stay home. The guild members would try in vain to convince them that Faye would be all right as long as everyone did their part, but the parents denied all offers of aid, saying it was crucial that Faye come to know her mother and father.

Our story takes place one peaceful night. It was Erza's turn to take a mission, and she had returned late that afternoon, tired, but, as always, happy to see her family.

_Her_ family – every time she thought about that, it brought a warm chill down her spine. She had grown up without parents, having to rely on several father figures, but never a mother figure. When she had gotten the news of her pregnancy two years ago, she was overwhelmed with fear, joy, and doubt all at once. She knew next to nothing about being a mother, and she worried whether she and Natsu were even ready to learn. But through it all, she was overjoyed at the fact that she would actually have a family. Sure, she had her Fairy Tail nakama, but this was something her blood would conceive, so she could only worry that she wasn't up to the task.

However, like he had done so many times in the past, Natsu managed to melt away all of her concerns with the flame of hope he was unaware burned brightly as part of his personality.

Now, however, she was exhausted from her mission, and she was perfectly content in dreamland, having visions of strawberry cake and the allergic reaction it caused in Erza Knightwalker. However, the sound of her crying daughter broke that illusion with little effort.

Erza rubbed out the sleep and struggled to open her eyes. She checked the time, 3:30 in the morning, and groaned. Turning to face her husband, she muttered, "Natsu, the baby's crying."

There was no response from the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. "Natsu, get up!" she said again, raising her voice. All she heard in reply was a loud snore.

Erza was, by this point, furious. She just wanted Natsu to wake up and take care of their daughter so she could go back to sleep. With a growl, she grabbed her husband by the throat, held him in front of her, and kicked him in the stomach while yelling, "WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT!"

Natsu, long since conditioned to the pain his wife inflicted, jerked awake in an instant. "Huh? What? I'm awake! Don't kill me!" he said in a panic.

Erza sighed. "Faye's crying. Calm her down," she said simply. Natsu nodded in response, sat down on the bed, and closed his eyes.

Erza groaned again. "Natsu…' she seethed, only to be shushed, causing her to snap.

"NATSU, FOR GOD'S SAKE, I JUST GOT BACK FROM EXTERMINATING A COLONY OF VULCANS, AND I AM IN NO MOOD TO BE AWAKE ANY LONGER THAN I HAVE TO, SO YOU HAD BETTER GET YOUR ASS OVER TO FAYE'S ROOM RIGHT NOW , OR SO HELP ME, I WILL SLIT YOUR FUCKING THROAT WITH EVERY GODDAMN WEAPON I OWN!"

At that moment, Natsu opened his eyes. "Faye's hungry!" he exclaimed happily. With that declaration, he left the room to do what he must. Five minutes later, he returned with a pink-haired one-year-old in his arms, happily nursing a bottle, oblivious to Happy cowering in the corner in fear of Erza.

"How do you know these things, Natsu?" asked a bewildered Erza.

"Dragon Slayers have enhanced senses, including hearing, so by carefully listening to a baby's cries, I can easily tell why the baby is crying," he explained.

"So you know what Faye wants by the way Faye cries?"

"Pretty much," replied Natsu. "It took me a while to learn, for example, her hungry cry from her gas cry, but once I knew what was what, I never had any problems."

Erza was astonished by how little she knew about her baby compared to Natsu. "I guess it just goes to show how little time I spend with her," she said. "It's always a chore for me to determine exactly what's wrong."

Natsu frowned at his wife's lack of self-confidence. "Hey, it took me a while to learn, too. I just used my Dragon Slayer abilities to help me," he said. "And anyway, I'm away from her just as much as you are. It's not like I like leaving Faye, I hate it! But hey." He smiled. "We gotta feed our little girl, right?"

Despite her tiredness, Erza smiled back at Natsu. Once again, he managed to put her worries to rest. At that point, Faye had just finished her bottle, and was once again crying.

"She needs to be burped," said Natsu. He slung Faye over his shoulder, patted her back for a minute or so, she gave a satisfied burp and fell back asleep.

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are, Natsu?" asked Erza.

"You mean in bed?" Natsu replied cheekily. Little did he know the only thing stopping Erza from punching him in the stomach was the fear that he might drop her baby girl. "I'm going to put Faye back to bed. You do the same for yourself."

"What about you?" Erza asked.

"Well, I'm wide awake now, no thanks to you," said Natsu. "Guess I'll light a candle and read the new chapter of Lucy's novel. But before that…" He leaned in and pecked Erza on the cheek. With that, the Dragon Slayer left to complete his task.

As sleep once again took over the Titania, she couldn't help thinking that having a family was the best thing that could ever happen to her.

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><p><strong>Well, I'm prouder of this one than I am of most. And I guess I unintentionally lied when I said there would be nothing that could be said about Faye in Awestruck that would be redundant here, since I didn't end up saying a lot about her.<strong>

**But hey, I'm up to C now, and I've been waiting to write this one for a while now. Don't be surprised if I don't come out with it for quite a while, because I really want to make sure this is presentable. All I'll say about it is that Jellal will appear! And he will be a major plot point! DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNN!**

**But that's for another day, so until then, peace and love from Nightlingbolt! And happy Mother's day to all of you and your mothers!**


	3. C is for Cheat

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to the thrid chapter of The ABCs of Natsu and Erza, C as in Cheat!**

**I'm just saying now, this is the first chapter in a trilogy, so expect two more chapters that go with it. But they won't be the next two chapters, as awesome as that would be.**

**I wasn't going to post this until I had written the third part, but I had a two-parter in mind, and both projects' final chapters will be literally right next to each other, so I figure I can wait on them and get on with the rest of the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters. I do own Faye Dragneel. Do not use her without my permission.**

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><p>Erza woke up to find her head aching and her ears pounding, two of the classic signs of a hangover. She was a social drinker but almost never got drunk. But apparently, last night she did.<p>

Not that she minded. Cana and Lucy had drunken sex at least twice a month, and she had to admit, it had spiced things up between her and Natsu quite a bit. Though for some reason, he wasn't as wild last night as he usually was. She turned her head to the side and started to admire those blue locks…

Wait, blue? Did Natsu dye his hair last night? She couldn't recall.

"Natsu?" Erza whispered tentatively. "Natsu" rolled over just enough for her to see a very familiar tattoo.

And then it all came back to her.

A few days ago, the Magic Council had decided, after years of careful observation, that Jellal Fernandes was not, in fact, responsible for his actions concerning the Tower of Heaven incident, and had released him into the custody of the Fairy Tail Guild on a probationary period. Last night, Erza took him out to dinner to celebrate his release.

After her third glass of wine, Erza had playfully flirted with Jellal, to which he didn't know how to respond. One more glass, and everything after that was a blur.

Yeah, she, Erza Dragneel, the famed Titania of Fairy Tail, was a lightweight.

Erza took the moment to look around the room, and much to her horror, this was hers and Natsu's bedroom, not Jellal's.

Oh God. She had slept with Jellal.

She had cheated on Natsu!

In their house!

In their bed!

Natsu trusted her, and she betrayed him!

It was enough to make Erza cry. And so she did. Unfortunately, the sound of her crying woke Jellal up.

"Er…za…?" he said groggily.

Erza screamed, startling Jellal into full awareness.

"GET OUT!" she shrieked. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE, YOU BASTARD!" Jellal didn't even have time to put on his clothes, instead opting to gather them as quickly as he could.

Erza watched as her childhood friend rushed out of the room. She didn't even have the willpower to chase after him. All she could do was collapse into her pillow and sob uncontrollably.

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><p>An hour and a half later, Erza had fed the baby and taken a long shower at the hottest temperature she could withstand, and was now considering her options. Of course, she said she was considering her options, but really, there was only one choice her conscience would allow. And that was nothing short of telling Natsu the truth. From there, she would let everything else unfold.<p>

Her biggest fear was that Natsu would want a divorce. She was, of course, prepared for that scenario, if only mentally. She had nowhere else to go, and she would certainly not move in with Jellal. Being with him was everything she had dreamed about as a little girl, but the knowledge that she was being unfaithful to her husband tainted the experience. If she had the choice between a relationship with Jellal and a life of celibacy, she would take the latter in a heartbeat.

But one question still remained in her mind. Would Natsu allow her to see Faye again? Would she be raised to have no knowledge of her mother? Would she be told she was a whore?

Would one of them have to leave Fairy Tail?

That thought was just as unbearable to her as having committed adultery or losing her husband and daughter. She looked at Faye as she was playing with her rattle. She would do anything to see her little girl grow up to be a strong mage of Fairy Tail.

Erza picked up Faye and kissed her on the forehead, tears in her eyes. "Faye…" she whispered. "I love you so much, sweetheart. I can't bear the thought of losing you to my own selfish desires… But I promise you, I'm going to do right by you, sweetheart! You and your daddy! I'm going to fix this! I swear it!"

Her resolve now steeled, all Erza could do was wait. It was Natsu's turn to take a job, and thankfully, he had brought Happy with him, so she was home alone. They were scheduled to return mid-afternoon.

She would tell him then.

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><p>Natsu was walking down the streets of Magnolia in a typically happy mood. Another dark guild was ancient history thanks to him, and he was on his way home to his two girls, Erza and Faye.<p>

One of his only problems with marrying Erza was the fear of how Lisanna would react. After all, the two had incubated Happy's egg together, and even talked about marriage just before her disappearance. But when he told her about his plans to propose, Lisanna just smiled brightly and told him Erza was a perfect match for him.

Natsu smiled at the memory. Lisanna was truly one of the most thoughtful, understanding people in Fairy Tail, or even Fiore. From then on, life was good.

As he got home, he swung open the door with the passing thought that Erza usually kept the door locked. Still, he boisterously called out Erza's name. He leaned in to kiss her, but Erza pulled away for some reason.

"What's wrong?" asked Natsu. "You sick or something?" Tears welled up in Erza's eyes, and that's when he knew something was wrong.

"Natsu… last night… I…" Erza burst into tears as she spoke. "I slept with Jellal!"

Whatever Natsu was expecting to hear, it sure as hell wasn't this. He felt hurt that his wife betrayed him, but even stronger was the rage that built up at the knowledge that, yet again, Jellal had made Erza cry.

Erza's voice cut through the fog. "I'll be gone by tomorrow morning," she said. She didn't say it like she was leaving him for another man, but rather like he expected her to walk out of his life.

Unacceptable.

"NO!" he thundered. He stepped dangerously close to Erza and growled out, "I refuse to let you go!"

"You have to!" said Erza, still crying. "I can't be your wife anymore! Not after how I hurt you!"

"Where the FUCK did you ever get that idea?" Natsu screamed. Erza struggled to find the right words, but none came out.

Natsu took a deep calming breath – just the way Wendy had taught him – and continued speaking. "Don't think I'm not mad about this. I'm PISSED! My wife cheated on me! And you're right! I have every right to tell you to get the hell out of my life!

"But I won't. I CAN'T! And do you know why? Because when we got married, we stood up before God and our nakama and vowed to take each other as husband and wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, TILL DEATH DO US PART. Well, guess what? This is for worse! Do you have any idea how many marriages fall apart just because they can't handle the 'for worse?' Well, I refuse to be one of those marriages, especially not if it means losing you!" Now Natsu was starting to tear up.

"We CAN get through this, Erza," said Natsu. "But only if you still love me. Do you still love me, Erza?"

Erza opened her mouth to speak, but some part of her realized that this was not a question to answer hastily. She took into consideration her night with Jellal. She had been in control throughout the whole thing; he was afraid to do any work. It was pure lust for her, merely fulfilling a childhood fantasy.

Sex with Natsu, however, almost couldn't even be called sex. Every single time she and Natsu had gotten intimate, it was wild and uninhibited, a pure competition to see who could give who their release first. Yet at the same time, their touches were loving and tender, almost as if they were afraid to hurt each other in the midst of their competition of love. She felt their shared memories in each touch, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was loved by him.

"Yes," whispered Erza. "I still love you, Natsu."

Natsu smiled. "I love you, too, Erza. Even if you had said no, I would still love you. I can't imagine life without you. I WON'T!" he said, exclaiming the last two words.

The next thing Natsu knew, his wife had buried her head in his chest and was sobbing out apologies by the second. All at once, Natsu's rage towards Jellal had dissipated. True, Erza was still crying, but these were tears of joy, and that was all right by him.

As for Jellal, Natsu decided he would talk to him in the morning. For now, he would bask in his wife's love and bathe her with his own.

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><p><strong>Eh, not nearly as angsty as I would've liked. But you know how it is. You have a plan, you get ideas that interfere with that plan, and the story ends up writing itself just as much as you end up writing it. I'm sorry if it's not as angsty or dramatic as you would expect the prompt "Cheat" to be, but the drama is in Erza's guilt at committing adultery and her intense desire to make it right.<strong>

**But that's enough from me, I'm on grocery duty. So until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt!**


	4. D is for Date

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to the fourth chapter of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza," D for Date!**

**I actually struggled with this, having never been on a date, and thus having no real-world experience on the matter (at age 21 to boot). Yes. I write romance, and I never had any practical romantic experience. How ironic is that?**

**And I should start the story before I embarrass myself any further. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters. I do own Shizuka. Any and all usage of her must be approved by me.**

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><p>"Natsu?"<p>

The Dragon Slayer in question looked up as Erza called his name. "What's up, Erza?" he asked his girlfriend.

"I was just thinking about how we've never gone on an official date," said Erza.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who said you didn't like dates," said Natsu. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"It's just…" Erza sighed wistfully. "I keep hearing Mirajane talking about her dates with Fried, and… I can't help but feel jealous… so if you wanted to take me out to dinner or something… well, I wouldn't say no."

Natsu stared at his girlfriend intently. Finally, he spoke. "I get it," he said with a smirk. "You don't want to lose to Mira!"

Erza giggled. "You could say that," she replied.

"Well, that's fine by me!" declared Natsu. "I don't want to lose to Fried either!"

Erza smiled at her boyfriend's unbridled enthusiasm. "Pick me up at six, okay, Honey Dragon?" she told him using her pet name for him.

"See you then, Baby Red," replied Natsu. The couple sealed the date with a kiss.

It was a quarter after six, and Erza was getting impatient. What the hell did that idiot think he was doing?

"_I'm giving him another five minutes. After that, I'm going to hunt him down and teach him to stand up a lady,"_ she decided. Three seconds later, she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to reveal… Natsu.

Instead of his usual attire (bar the scarf), Natsu was wearing a brown leather jacket with matching pants. Underneath the jacket was a red dress shirt, fitting for a Fire Dragon.

"Where were you?" Erza said harshly.

"Heheh, sorry," said Natsu. "Happy said to show up 'fashionably late.' Something about building up anticipation or some bull like that.

Erza's eyebrow twitched. "Natsu, when someone's 'fashionably late' to something like a dinner date, they're usually five minutes late – NO MORE THAN THAT," she said. "What were you doing for the last fifteen minutes, anyway?"

"I was actually debating whether to get you flowers or not," Natsu replied. "I knew girls usually like flowers, but I said to myself, 'Dude, this is _Erza_ we're talking about here! Erza doesn't do flowers!' So I was tearing my head out over it, and next thing I knew, I was five minutes later than when I was going to show up!"

Erza smiled. How could anyone be such an idiot and still be so cute doing it? "Yes, flowers would have been nice," she said. "But in the end, they're only temporary, and if we play our cards right, our relationship will last longer than any flower ever could."

"Wow, Erza… coming from you, that's beautiful," said Natsu.

"And what exactly does that mean?" asked Erza incredulously.

"Well, I… er… you look nice!" Natsu managed to get out. It was true. With her hair up, and in her dark blue spaghetti-strap top and gray microskirt, Erza was truly a sight to behold.

"Thank you, Natsu," said Erza, blushing at her boyfriend's compliment. Just then, said boyfriend's stomach started to growl. After sharing a laugh, the couple left to find a place to eat.

The couple had decided on a nice little bistro in downtown Magnolia. It wasn't anything fancy, but at the same time, you didn't just walk in without a reservation or waiting in line. There was a bit of a line which discouraged Erza.

"Forget it, Natsu, let's go somewhere else," Erza encouraged.

"No way, I made a reservation here, and I'm not changing it for the world!" said Natsu. Without any warning, Natsu picked up Erza bridal-style and marched to the front of the line, much to the protests of the other people waiting.

"I got a reservation for two under the name Dragneel," Natsu told the brunette hostess, who just stared at him.

"Sir… there's a separate line for people with reservations," the hostess deadpanned.

"What? Where the hell is that?" asked Natsu.

"Around the side," said the hostess.

"Thanks," said Natsu. Bellowing an apology to the people in line, he put Erza down, and the two of them made their way to the side entrance. They gave their name to the hostess stationed there and were seated almost immediately.

"Next time, could you leave your he-man antics at home?" said Erza in an annoyed tone.

"He-man antics?" Natsu repeated. "Who am I, Elfman?"

Erza sighed. "All I'm saying is that you don't have to show off in front of me," she said. "I like you just the way you are."

Natsu blushed. "I guess I _am_ pretty awesome, aren't I?" he said.

"You're not as awesome as you think," said Erza. "But you _are_ pretty cute," she added with a flirtatious wink. Hey, she was on a date, and she would flirt with her boyfriend if she wanted to, which she did.

"Evening!" a perky voice greeted. Natsu and Erza looked up to see an amber-haired waitress. "My name's Shizuka, and I'll be serving you tonight!"

"Shizuka?" Natsu repeated. "That means summer, right?"

"Yeah," said Shizuka.

"Hey, so does Natsu!" Natsu said cheerfully.

Realization dawned on Shizuka. "Ohmigod! Then you're Natsu Dragneel, right?" she exclaimed.

"Yup!" replied Natsu.

"I am such a huge fan of yours!" said Shizuka. "You're like, THE Fire mage every other Fire mage wants to be!"

"Nah, Macao's the Fire mage to beat in Fairy Tail!" said Natsu with a blush, which irked Erza to no end.

"Oh, yeah, he's great too, but you're practically the greatest Fire user of our time!" Shizuka gushed.

Natsu laughed. "Thanks, it's always nice to hear someone say something like that!" he said.

Erza slammed her palm on the table. "If you're quite finished flirting with my BOYFRIEND!" she yelled the last word for emphasis. "Then I will be drinking a diet soda with a lemon, and I'll be having the fettucini alfredo, and we'll be splitting a small cheese pizza. And Natsu will have…"

Natsu flinched. He hated having to decide on a meal on the spot. "The veal cutlet, and I guess I'm drinking the same as her," he said. "Oh, and can we get a sangria, too?"

Shizuka wasn't fazed by Erza's outburst. "Of course!" she said cheerily. "I'll be back with your orders shortly." She walked away with that comment.

Natsu was… a little miffed at Erza's outburst, but not too mad. Hell, he knew how jealous he got when Erza's fanboys complimented her, more so when they asked her to go out with them. Sure, it was nice to have a fan of your own, but he knew all too well the ugly side of jealousy.

So the conversation shifted to small talk about the guild. A favorite topic for the night was how Gajeel kept chickening out when he tried to tell Levy how he felt about her. Apparently, Pantherlily had made more than a few jokes about it, their favorite being "Gajeel drove his Chevy to the Levy but the Levy was dry."

Eventually, Shizuka returned with their meals. Natsu got a little curious about her magic, and she explained about her Yellow Flare magic, which is Fire magic directly linked to the sun – strongest in daylight, weakest at night.

It didn't take too long for Erza to get annoyed again. "Thank you, Shizuka. We'll let you know if we need anything else," she said tersely. Shizuka, fortunately, was smart enough to know not to mess with an angry Erza, so she took her leave, promising to return with their bill.

The meal had devolved into a staring match between them. Natsu cringed a little under Erza's stare, but he knew he had to get the message across somehow that there was nothing between him and Shizuka. It was only when their meals were both finished that Erza relented, opting to excuse herself and freshen up.

Natsu didn't understand why Erza was so jealous of their waitress. He thought that she knew him better than cheating on his girlfriend, especially when said girlfriend is Erza herself. Besides, she was just as friendly with Bisca as he was with Shizuka. After all, how often does a mage get to meet someone with a magic like his own?

Shizuka came by with the check, but before she left, Natsu stopped her. "Look," he began. "I wanna apologize for Erza. She's usually not such a jealous bitch around Lucy and Lisanna – two of my guildmates, you'd like them – but… I dunno, she looked like she wanted to kick your ass, and I know that's no fun."

"I know, and I just want to apologize," said Shizuka. "I hope I didn't ruin the evening for you guys."

"No way!" said Natsu with his trademark grin. He then turned serious. "Erza just wants what we all want – something real, something permanent. We both lost everything a long time ago, but you know what?" The grin returned full force.

"I think we've found it in each other."

"Awww, that's so sweet!" Shizuka cooed.

Unbeknownst to Natsu, Erza had heard every word. Tears formed in her eyes as Natsu professed his true feelings.

"Aww, Honey Dragon!" Erza exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Natsu from behind.

Natsu laughed. "I meant every word, Baby Red," he said gently. "You know that, right?"

"Mm-hmm," sighed Erza, just enjoying the Dragon Slayer's scent.

Shizuka watched the scene unfold nervously. "Um, I'm still here, guys," she said.

"I know. I'm just getting across the message," replied Erza, sending a glare Shizuka's way.

"Ummm… I think I'm smart enough to not try and steal away Titania Erza's boyfriend," said Shizuka timidly, causing Natsu to laugh for the second time in a minute.

"I like you!" said Natsu. "You'd make a great addition to our guild!" Shizuka's eyes lit up.

"You… you mean…?

Erza nodded. "Come to Fairy Tail tomorrow so that the Master can evaluate you."

Shizuka was speechless. Erza guessed it was because she was going to join the same guild as one of her idols. Apparently, she was so excited she didn't even hear Natsu tell her that she overcharged him for the pizza.

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><p><strong>Well, that wasn't my best ending, but I just wanted to end it on a happy, yet somewhat humorous note. Again, I really struggled with this. I really need a word processor that can hide the word count. I feel less restricted that way. Also, don't even ASK about the pet names. I wrote this random scene with Natsu and Erza being all lovey-dovey, it got to 1,000 words, and so it will be included in this story's canon.<strong>

**Also, I want to announce that I won't be writing at all in the next week, since I'll be participating in a CCNA boot camp in the hope that I'll be able to take a certification exam, and I want to devote as much mental energy to that as I can. Besides, I'm still working out the logistics of the E chapter, and part of my brainpower is on that.**

**So basically, I should be writing again this time next week. Until then, peace and love from Nightlingbolt!**


	5. E is for Edolas

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to more "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's letter is E for Edolas!**

**I was actually kind of excited to write this, even though Edolas is my least favorite arc in all of Fairy Tail. I dunno, it feels like filler, but canon filler, if that makes any sense. But the point of setting a scene in Edolas is, well, we know how Natsu Dragneel and Erza Scarlet interact, but what about Natsu Dragion and Erza Knightwalker? I feel like I crapped out on this, but I'll shut up and let you decide for yourself, maybe elaborate on the outnote.**

**As always, I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. I do own Paradisa Otta and Edo-Shitou.**

**This chapter is rated T for strong language.**

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><p>Erza Knightwalker was in a surly mood.<p>

Of course, this was nothing new for the former Fairy Hunter. Especially ever since the Earthland mages had left Edolas, taking her world's magic with them. At the same time,King Jellal – or as he was publically known, Mystogan I – had risen to power after his defeat of the "Great Demon Lord Dragneel."

Honestly, her country was full of idiots.

Anyway, her new King had pardoned the Fairy Tail Guild and forbidden any more attacks on them. Ironically, though she took this news the hardest of all the then-remaining Generals, she was the only one who stayed with the Royal Army.

While those fools were loyal only to Faust, the former King, Erza's loyalty lied with her country, not its King. She served the Kingdom of Edolas, not its King, and especially not that fool Mystogan. She remembered confronting him about the Great Demon Lord Dragneel. His only response to her exposé was that they (Erza and herself) wanted to protect the same thing – Edolas.

But that was all irrelevant. Now she was having herself a nice pint or two at her favorite bar in a small city outside the capital. How she loved Paradisa Otto, and the fact that she could drink to her heart's content in total anonymity.

Anonymity. That was a word she could not for the life of her say. "Anomity. Anonity Anonymititty," she muttered to herself.

"I see the liquor's getting to you, General Knightwalker," said a cool voice. Erza turned around to see a man dressed in a black hooded cloak with a mask covering his eyes to hide his identity. However, Erza instinctively knew him by his voice.

"Jellal," she growled, knowing not to call him by his title. "You are aware that that mask makes you look like a crazy person?"

"Exactly," replied Jellal. "No one would dare approach a crazy person. In fact, the fact that you're even talking to me makes you seem just as mad as I do."

"Oh, I'm mad, all right," seethed Erza. "And did you seriously just say 'In fact, the fact?'"

"And what if I did?" replied Jellal.

"You don't find that at all redundant?" Erza asked.

"I find you redundant. Is that any better?" said Jellal with a shit-eating grin that almost made Erza punch her king in the face. Seriously, what business did this smartass have on the throne?

"I sense your hostility, Erza," said Jellal seriously, but with a hint of mischief. "You haven't killed a member of Fairy Tail in how long again?"

"Three months, one week, and five days, but who's counting?" replied the former Fairy Hunter.

Jellal sighed. "You are aware, of course, that you are forbidden from harming Fairy Tail members as long as I am king, correct, General Knightwalker?" he asked.

"Yes, my King," replied Erza reluctantly.

"Then I would like you to direct your attention to the table in the back," said Jellal. Erza did so, and to her displeasure, she saw several of the former Fairy Tail mages – Gray Surge, Jet, Droy, and Natsu Dragion.

"What? So? They're a bunch of Fairies, am I supposed to be impressed?" Erza asked.

Jellal sighed. Clearly, subtlety and ambience were lost on his General, so he decided to be blunt. "I want you to seduce one of them," he said simply.

Erza stared at her King, her mouth hanging wide open. "ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"That's what the mask would have you believe," said Jellal. "And your screaming is starting to attract a crowd." It was true. All eyes were currently on the duo, or at least it seemed they were.

This annoyed the Champion of Edolas to no end. "What are you all staring at? Can't two people drink in peace?" she shouted.

"Yes, and I would recommend you offer the same courtesy to your fellow bargoers, or I _will_ have you both removed from the premises," replied the old barman sternly, having watched the whole scene.

"_You_ will have _us _removed? Do you even know who we _are?_" Erza screeched.

The barman was not intimidated. "I don't care if King Mystogan himself came to drink here," he said threateningly. "As owner and operator of Paradisa Otto, I proudly claim the right to refuse service to anyone who would cause a disruption in my bar. And I do mean _anyone._" He punctuated his statement with a knowing glare.

Erza opened her mouth to retort, but Jellal raised his hand to silence her. "Forgive us, Shitou-san. It was not our intention to insult you in your own establishment," he said humbly. Shitou smiled at Jellal, flashed the "I'm watching you" sign at Erza, and went back to cleaning his glass.

"There is _no_ way I'm seducing a Fairy," said Erza defiantly once all the attention was off of her and Jellal.

"I know, it's a blow to your pride as the Fairy Hunter to sleep with one of the Fairies you so eagerly hunted," said Jellal. "But-"

"You want me to SLEEP WITH one of them?" Erza shrieked.

"Erza, keep it down, or you'll get us kicked out," said Jellal sternly. "And I'm pretty sure when you seduce someone, the intent is to have sex with him or her. I don't know, I'll look it up later. But back to what I was saying. I've noticed that you've become rather prideful as of late."

Erza huffed. "And your point is?" she ground out.

"I can't have my generals be ruled by foolish pride, especially not my Kingdom's Champion. I believe if you were to bed a Fairy Tail mage, it would go a long way towards teaching you to swallow your pride when the time calls for it," Jellal explained. Of course, this was the bullshit explanation that he would give Erza to hide the fact that he just thought it would be funny, but there was no need to tell her that.

Erza hesitated to reply, but Jellal spoke once again. "If it makes you feel any better, think of it as a new form of Fairy Hunting." This made the situation a little more bearable for Erza, but she was still unsure.

No, she said to herself. She was Erza Knightwalker! She was never unsure about anything in her life! "If my King commands it, then I suppose it has to be done," she said firmly yet reluctantly.

Jellal smiled warmly, though Erza made no mistake of the pleasure he found in torturing her like this. "Excellent," he said. "As I said, this is a new form of Fairy Hunting, and I can think of no better conquest than Natsu Dragion."

Erza flinched. "N-N-N-Natsu Dragion?" she sputtered. She had heard of Fireball Natsu. During the days of magic in Edolas, Fireball Natsu was _the_ expert in terms of magical vehicles. But when he wasn't behind the wheel, he was a freaking coward! "But he's obviously the wimpiest member of Fairy Tail by far!"

"You'd be surprised, Erza," said Jellal. "The loss of magic has forced the people of Edolas to adapt, and in those… what was it now? Three months, one week, and five days? No, screw it, I'll round up.

"In those four months since magic left Edolas, the people – Fairy Tail, especially – have adapted quite well to their new world. New advancements in science and technology are being made each day, and… ooh, she looks lovely tonight…"

"FOCUS!" Erza snapped.

"Right, right! Now, what was I saying? Oh, of course!" Jellal cleared his throat and continued his speech. "New advancements in science and technology are being made each day, and the peoplehave been forced to mature in ways they had never imagined. As I said, this is especially true for Fairy Tail. I'll say nothing more on the matter except that you may find yourself pleasantly surprised at the change in Natsu's attitude. Now go get him, tiger!" Jellal finished encouragingly.

"Please don't call me 'Tiger' again," said Erza, eager to get this over with. Jellal just ignored her. Sighing, she reached for the remainder of her beer before the King piped up with "Stay sober, General!" With a growl, she made her way towards the table where the Fairies were sitting.

Sure enough, the former Fireball was laughing boisterously at a dirty joke, a sure sign to anyone that knew him that he was obviously drunk. Good, Erza thought. He's less likely to remember tonight that way. He got up, presumably to order more drinks or use the restroom, so now was the time to accost him. Shifting into what she thought of as "Seduction Mode," she grabbed Natsu's shoulder and purred, "You lookin' for a good time, Fireball?"

Whatever reaction Erza was expecting, it certainly wasn't the one she got. Natsu grabbed her sides, dipped her, and smirked mischievously. "Sure," he said. "I was looking for a little excitement, and riding a Fairy Hunter could be just what I need." He then planted his lips roughly on hers.

Jellal just smirked from his place at the bar. He had invited Natsu and three other Fairy Tail members out drinking on his dime under the alias Siegrain. He knew from speaking to Natsu that he (Natsu) was on the verge of perfecting a new form of fuel to power the vehicles that formerly ran on magic, which, combined with meeting his Earthland counterpart and a little bit of alcohol, had done wonders for his courage.

But why would King Mystogan I go out of his way to set up his General and a Fairy? Simply put, Jellal had always seen the potential for a romantic relationship between the Natsu and Erza of Earthland. Those two brought out the best in each other – Erza drove Natsu to keep getting stronger, and she always seemed to open up around him. He had hoped things would turn out the same here in Edolas, with Erza teaching Natsu courage and Natsu teaching Erza humility.

But beforethat, Jellal knew he would walk into tomorrow morning's strategy briefing and be met with his strongest General's murderous gaze that longed for him to abdicate the throne just so she could kick his ass without fear of treason. At this thought, he only smiled.

She would thank him in the long run anyway.

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><p><strong>Like I said, I crapped out here. The writing I don't have a problem with. I think Knightwalker and Mystogan was fun, if not a little OOC. My theory is that Mystogan has a playful matchmaking side he obviously picked up from Mirajane during his time in Earthland, but he never really got to show it because he had to keep his face hidden for Erza's sake.<strong>

**Now the big problem: Dragion's character. I wasn't sure how to write the character interaction between him and Knightwalker, and I really have DiagonAlley's fic "The Best Ride In Town" for that. That's where I got the idea for Dragion to be close to developing a new fuel source for all of Edolas, which excites him to the point of being in his Fireball personality near constantly. At first, the Edolas chapter was supposed to be about Knightwalker falling for Dragion, but then it became about Mystogan setting them up and me making him into a Sosuke Aizen/Light Yagami clone. Sorry, Mystogan. You're better than that!**

**I want to do a lemon for a future chapter, but failing that, I'll see what I can do about a sequel to this. But that's not for another few chapters. G is already written, so after I do F, I'll give the lemon some thought, and if my virginity screws me over, then I'll go with the sequel plan. So until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt!**


	6. F is for Fight

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's letter is F for Fight!**

**There's really nothing to say about this one. It was originally supposed to take place when Natsu first joined the guild, which would be when he and Erza start to make friends, but I really didn't want to screw with Erza's dynamic with Gray, so this came about. Don't get me wrong, I prefer Gray with Juvia, but that was the time he had feelings for Erza, and I didn't really know how to include him in the original script. Come to think of it, I've made little to no mention of Gray at all in this story except for mentioning Edo-Gray in the Fairy Tail group last chapter. I really should work on that in a later chapter. I'd do it in G, but that's already written, and H... well, I might as well come clean now. H is either going to be a lemon (Heat) or a sequel to Edolas (Hangover). I'll give it another week until I post G, during which I'll type up a prototype sex scene, and if I like it enough, that'll be the chapter. If not, I'll go ahead with Hangover.**

**Geez, for there being nothing to say, I sure said a lot. Okay, on with the story!**

**I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. I do, however, own Shizuka, who only gets a passing mention in this chapter.**

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><p>Natsu was, as usual, in a good mood as he made his way towards the guild. He had a real good plan for the day: take Lucy on a job, preferably a high-paying one (because really, how would she pay her rent without him?), kick some bad guy butt, go fishing with Happy, sleep, and do it all again tomorrow.<p>

At least, that was the plan, until Natsu saw Lucy chattering away with Cana, Levy, Mirajane, and… _Erza._ Goddammit, Erza was the last person Natsu wanted to see right now. But he supposed it was inevitable, since they both had jobs to do. "Erza," said Natsu bitterly.

"Natsu," replied Erza curtly.

"Come on, Luce. Time to go to work," said Natsu, not giving any indication that Erza was there.

"You know what, Natsu?" said Erza.

"What?" said Natsu irritably.

"I don't think I want you going on jobs alone with Lucy if we're going to date," said Erza bluntly. She of course had no problems with Natsu and Lucy working together. This was just her wanting to stay mad.

"That's a load of bull," spat Natsu. "We're never alone; Happy's always with us."

"Aye! I'm the cockblock!" said Happy cheerfully, causing Lucy to blush.

"Sometimes I really hate that cat," Lucy whispered to Levy as Cana stood up, refusing to let the accusation go.

"Erza, need I remind you that Lucy and I are in a _lesbian relationship?_" the Card mage said dangerously.

"Please don't call it that," said Lucy, even more mortified.

"Oh?" said Erza. "Has Lucy ever stated that she was indeed a lesbian?"

"No," replied Cana. "But what does that-?"

"Lucy!" Erza exclaimed, turning on the Celestial Mage sharply. "If I wasn't dating Natsu and you weren't dating Cana, would you rather go out with Natsu or me?"

"What? Natsu, of course!" said Lucy hastily. She really hated being put on the spot like that.

"'Natsu, of course!'" repeated Erza triumphantly. "So you see why I tend to get jealous whenever you two go on a job together!"

"What?" shouted an outraged Natsu. "Why the hell would I do that? Lucy's my best friend!"

"And I'm not?" yelled Erza, sounding hurt.

"Not if you're gonna act like a jealous bitch with every girl I talk to, you're not!" Natsu replied furiously. "Why are we even having this damn conversation? Lucy would never cheat on Cana for anyone, myself included!"

"Thank you! Finally, someone's making sense!" shouted Lucy. _"And it's Natsu, of all people,"_ she added as an afterthought. She failed to notice the look of hurt on Erza's face.

"You know what? You're right, Natsu," said Erza in an even tone. "I AM a jealous bitch. But I shouldn't have to spell out that it's because I love you!" Tears started forming in Erza's eyes at this point. "I just… I don't want you to leave me like Jellal did!"

No one dared to say anything. If you were a mage of Fairy Tail or a friend of Erza's, you knew instinctively that Jellal Fernandes was her own personal elephant in the room. Finally, Natsu spoke, in a much more even tone than last time.

"Erza," he said soothingly. "Of course I'm not going to leave you. Not even if someone told me right now exactly where Igneel was. Hell, if they did… I'd want you to come with me.

"But part of love is trust. Actually, I think trust is the whole damn thing. I don't think I could love you if I didn't trust you. Can you honestly say the same about me?"

Erza collected her thoughts for a moment. Oddly enough, there was truth to what he was saying. Though that shouldn't have surprised her by this point. Natsu never had much of a way with words, but at least he was honest and trustworthy.

God, how could she have been so stupid? In all the time Erza had known him, Natsu had never made so much as an attempt to flirt with Lucy or Lisanna. His relationship with Lucy had never been anything more than platonic (except sleeping in her bed because it was comfortable – simple needs for simple minds, she supposed), and every time Lisanna had brought up the idea of marriage to Natsu, he would run like… Vulcans from a gay guy?

Okay, so Erza wasn't the best at making analogies.

Still, to Lisanna's credit, she hadn't brought up anything romantic to Natsu since her return from Edolas. And like he said, Lucy was already with Cana anyway and wasn't the cheating type, so there was next to no chance of anything occurring.

"No," she said finally, in that timid tone only Natsu could bring her to. With that, she hugged Natsu like she hadn't done since their fight began.

"I'm sorry, Honey Dragon," she murmured into Natsu's neck. "I love you."

Natsu guided Erza's head so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "Love you too, Baby Red. Everything's gonna be okay." Having nothing more to say, Natsu took Erza's lips into his own in a soft, forgiving kiss.

Erza Scarlet was just someone you couldn't stay mad at.

"So I guess the fight is over?" inquired Levy.

Natsu pulled away from his girlfriend. "Looks like it to me," he said with a grin.

"What were you guys even fighting about anyway?" asked Cana. Erza balked at the drunk Card mage's question.

"I honestly have no idea," she replied.

"I'm pretty sure it had something to do with how Natsu was spending time teaching Shizuka-chan new techniques," said Mirajane. Natsu glared at the Demon, hoping Erza wouldn't get mad at him again. Luckily, she simply smiled.

"Shizuka's never going to develop as a mage if you keep holding her hand," said Erza.

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Natsu. "But I still learn from her just as much as she does from me. Fairy Tail's mages help each other out, right?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of helping each other, how about we go on that job you promised, Natsu?" said Lucy. "Erza can come too if she wants."

"Natsu and I won't be able to accompany you today, Lucy," said Erza. "A good fight always puts me in a certain mood." She licked her lips as she looked at Natsu.

"Me too," the Salamander said with a wolfish smirk. "We'll go tomorrow, okay, Luce?" Without waiting for a reply, Natsu picked up the Titania and carried her bridal-style towards a nearby broom closet.

"There will be no forgiveness for those who interrupt," said Erza menacingly. When she was certain the message got through, she followed her lover into the closet.

Nobody said anything for a few moments. Finally, Lucy yelled one thing.

"But what about my rent?"

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><p><strong>Yup, just a little fluff. I'm not exactly proud of it, but I don't hate it either. I just think I can do better. But hey, at least I didn't write "i luv u said natsu. i luv u to said erza. they kissed and lived happly ever after the end." Oh well, if at least one person likes it, I've done my job.\<strong>

**So yeah, that's it for now. Expect G sometime next week. Until then, peace and love from Nightlingbolt!**


	7. G is for Guilt

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's letter is G for Guilt, the second installment in the Cheat Trilogy!**

**I know, this part focuses more on Jellal, but I wanted to show his feelings on his night with Erza and what it meant for her. Still, I think I encompass all three characters' emotional states quite nicely here. Of course, I wrote this after writing Cheat and before Date, so you can imagine I have no idea what I was thinking at the time of writing. Oh well, I'll shut up so you can enjoy the story.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

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><p>Jellal Fernandes never believed in luck. Hell, if you were brainwashed as a child, made to enslave your best friends and family to revive a dark mage that wasn't even dead to begin with, revived with amnesia, taken into custody for crimes you know you committed but literally have no memory of them, and left to rot with only three meals a day for seven years, never knowing whether or not the powers that be decided it was time for you to die, you wouldn't either.<p>

So you can imagine that he didn't know what to call it when, after seven years on the run, Ultear Milkovich had confessed to manipulating him in order to obtain one of the keys to Zeref's seal, though to this day, he had no idea what it could've been. He had long since chalked it up to Ultear's deception.

This turn of events had Jellal released under the custody of Fairy Tail, and basically, he wasn't supposed to leave Magnolia without an S-Class mage of the guild. Erza, of course, had been thrilled.

Erza.

By far, the biggest surprise he had encountered was that Erza had married Natsu and had a daughter. Even though a small part of him had wished she would've waited for him, Jellal knew that he could never ask Erza to do something like that. Not with the fear that he could be dead tomorrow and the Council wouldn't tell her a damn thing.

Jellal was just thankful that the Council that had originally imprisoned him had been forced to disband after Fiore's Parliament had decided that they had violated the trust of the magical community by sending an agent to attempt to disband Fairy Tail, thus targeting a guild that, while notorious for massive property damage, still operated under the fundamental laws that the Magic Council had laid down when it was first formed. Those bastards would've ignored every word Ultear had ever said if it meant he would stay a prisoner.

But back to Erza. She had treated him to a nice dinner in honor of his release and joining Fairy Tail. Unfortunately, she had gotten drunk and, consequentially, very amorous. That was when he decided to take her home – her home.

That was where she had forced herself on him. Guided by seven years of pent-up lust and the part of him that had still wanted her, all he could do was go along.

The pain he had caused her was evident in her voice, and the sound of her sobbing had completely dulled any sense of pleasure he had felt the night before.

Jellal heard a crash from his bed. He looked at the clock, 7:30. It wasn't the middle of the night, but who could want to talk to him this early?

"Jellal! We need to talk!" Natsu's voice called. Jellal sighed. After what had happened, who else could it be?

"Can I at least get dressed first?" he called.

"Fine, but I'm not waiting for a shower!"

"Never mind, I'll just put on a T-shirt!" Jellal took a deep breath. It was time to face the music. Unfortunately for him, the song was "Through the Fire and Flames."

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><p>A few minutes later, the two men were seated at Jellal's kitchen table. There was an uncomfortable silence, each daring the other to speak.<p>

Finally, Natsu spoke. "So how was it with Erza?" he asked.

Jellal sighed. Blunt, straight to the point, and not willing to mess around. That was Natsu in a nutshell. "It… it wasn't that great," he said.

"So you think you can do better than my wife?" said Natsu in a slightly raised voice.

"No!" said Jellal hastily. "It was everything I ever wanted! But… there was always this part of me that kept telling me that it was wrong, she was another man's wife, and I should stop."

"Well, why didn't you listen to that part?" Natsu yelled.

"Natsu, please! You have to understand that I was denied physical release for seven years!" said Jellal. "I know that's no excuse – hell, there IS no excuse for sleeping with another man's wife! – but it was inevitable my baser instincts would win out in the end!"

Natsu let Jellal's words sink in for a minute. "My God, they didn't even give you conjugal visits?" he asked.

Jellal shrugged. "I never had a partner other than Ultear, and Siegrain wasn't exactly capable of intercourse." Natsu didn't know whether to laugh at Jellal's comment or bash his head against the table. He cleared his throat, and it was back to the matter at hand.

"Fine. I'm willing to forget you slept with Erza," said Natsu through gritted teeth. "But I'm not willing to forget you made her cry! And to me, that trumps everything!"

Jellal blinked back some tears, but he couldn't hide the sadness in his voice. "No matter what I do," he whispered sadly. "It always seems to end with me causing Erza pain. And it kills me inside to know that!" At this point the tears had started to fall.

Natsu took a good hard look at the sobbing Jellal. Truth be told, he'd thought Jellal was a good guy ever since the Oracion Seis battle. When the Rune Knights took him away, it was like seeing him for the first time. As he fought for Jellal (and by extension, for Erza), he realized Jellal wasn't the type to intentionally make anyone sad. The first few times, he was insane. After Oracion Seis, he had been arrested, so technically that was the Council's fault. And now, Erza cried in shame of the actions she had committed with him the night before last.

"Just don't do it again," said Natsu. "Take care of us, and we'll take care of you. After all, you're part of Fairy Tail now. That makes you our nakama." He smiled his brightest smile as he said that last sentence. And it was all Jellal could do to smile back, amazed at how forgiving Natsu was.

"You have your freedom now, Jellal. Take it, and don't ever look back," said Natsu.

"Of course," replied Jellal. "Now seriously, I really need to shower."

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><p>It had been nearly a week since Erza's… ahem… extramarital incident, and Natsu was pretty much back to normal. Erza, however, still had some doubts.<p>

There was no doubt in her mind that she was still in love with Natsu, but she felt it was too soon for him to forgive her. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day. And it still baffled her that Natsu forgave not only her, but Jellal, so easily.

The real problem, however, was that she had yet to forgive herself. They usually spent a week at home together before one of them headed off on their next job. Normally, they made the most of it, but Erza had spurned Natsu's advances all week long.

Erza was scheduled to take her turn at doing a job in the morning, and Natsu wanted to make tonight count. As soon as they were in bed, Natsu made an attempt at a hug, which Erza evaded without much trouble.

"C'mon, Baby Red. Don't fight it," he said in a husky tone. He leaned in for a kiss, but Erza punched him in the face with a resounding "NO MEANS NO, IDIOT!"

Natsu groaned in pain as he said, "What the hell, Erza? We never go this long without sex! Well, at least not when we're home."

"I know, Natsu, and I'm sorry, but…" Erza struggled to find the right words. "I'm just not ready yet..."

Natsu frowned. "Is this about… that?" he asked. Erza nodded meekly, causing Natsu to sigh.

"Look, Erza," said Natsu. "You want to forget all about this as much as I do…"

"That's just it, Natsu!" said Erza. "You can deny it all you want, but I can't! I mean, I betrayed you, and it's something I have to live with for the rest of my life! The guilt of my actions will stain my soul until my dying day!"

Natsu rolled his eyes at his wife's melodrama, then spoke. "I know that, you idiot! But I understand! Jellal was your first love, and that's never going to go away no matter how long we stay married. You acted out of passion and so did Jellal. Hell, if you told me I could sleep with Lisanna for one night with no strings attached, I probably would, but…"

At that moment, a light bulb went off in Erza's head. "That's it!" she exclaimed.

"What's it?" asked Natsu.

"I cheated on you, so it's only fair that you cheat on me in return!" said Erza.

"…You want me to cheat on you… with Lisanna?" asked a dumbfounded Natsu. "No! No, I'm not gonna do it!"

"But you just said-"

"I know what I just said!" yelled Natsu. "But I won't do it out of revenge! I don't need revenge! I just need the knowledge that you love me! And I love you, so I'll hold back until you're ready to move on from this! But let me just say, there's never been a problem you were afraid to face, so why should this be any different?" With that, Natsu rolled over on his side and started to fall asleep.

"_Why _should _this be any different?"_ Erza thought to herself. "_Why is this any different from every other problem I've faced?"_ With that thought, Erza smiled and drifted off to sleep.

She knew what she had to do.

* * *

><p><strong>BUM BUM BUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!<strong>

**So I lost my iPod on Sunday. My cousin's graduation party was then, and I almost brought it for the ride, but my dad managed to talk me out of it, so I didn't. When I got home, it was nowhere to be found! I mean, I know it's in my room somewhere, but I've literally checked all over, and I still have yet to find it.**

**But not only does this mean I now have to put up with my parents' pointless blather about real estate and interior design on long car trips, I also lost my original set of prompts. Some of them I had plans for, like for example, W, but most of which I didn't, so I was forced to come up with new prompts on Word.**

**Protip: Save your ideas on a computer, not a mobile device.**

**Either way, the big lemon is up next. That is, unless I chicken out, in which case you'll get a sequel to Edolas, though I may try to work it in somewhere down the line anyway. Gonna have to hit AFF for ideas during the week, so that, of course, will be fun, except not really.**

**So whatever I do, peace and love from Nightlingbolt until the next time I post. Bye!**


	8. H is for Home

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's letter is... H for Home!**

**I know, I know, I was supposed to do a lemon or sequel to Edolas, but I got some bad writer's block on the latter, and I just couldn't bring myself to write the former. *shame***

**But then I decided to share a glimpse into home life with the Dragneel family, and this was what came out. And notice the Dragneels are plus one! Say hello to Tyson "Tai" Dragneel! He's the son of Erza and Natsu... or is he? That I haven't decided yet. As for Edolas, I do have a Dragion/Knightwalker story in mind in which Mystogan volunteers Knightwalker to join the Fairy Tail Guild in an effort to establish bonds between them and the Kingdom of Edolas, much to the former Fairy Hunter's fury. Also, I may give a new fandom a shot, but I'll ask about that at the end of the chapter.**

**Usual disclaimer is usual. I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters. I do own Faye and Tai Dragneel, and I also own the TV show "Maggie the Mage." As to how this world has television, let's just say Fairy Tail TV uses Satellite Lacrima (something else I own) to broadcast its programs.**

* * *

><p>Natsu was lying on the couch, complete with Happy on his stomach, bored out of his mind. The Magic Council had put him on probation for destroying a museum on his last job, and even though this Council was far more lenient towards Fairy Tail than the one before, they still had to enforce order within the magical community.<p>

Until that job, Natsu hadn't caused any (massive) property damage since Erza was pregnant with Faye. He remembered Makarov giving him an earful about his destructive behavior, saying he had to support Erza and his child since she was in no condition to. It really struck a chord with Natsu, and he would silently thank his late Master for kicking his ass the way he did.

The probation was for 90 days, and the Titania was working herself ragged in order to compensate for Natsu's inability to work. She'd come home just long enough to eat, sleep, play with the kids, maybe make love with Natsu depending on her mood, then head on back to the guild for her next job.

But the probation was up the day after tomorrow, and that would be when Natsu took the highest-paying job he could find (Bar the 10- or 100-Year Jobs – Gildarts was an easygoing Master, but if you told him you were attempting the 100-Year Job, he would freak out like you wouldn't believe) and give Erza the break she deserved. Until then, he was stuck watching Faye and Tai watch some asinine little kids' show.

Asinine? Okay, he _really_ needed to get out of the house. Meh, after Maggie the Mage.

Faye sat on the floor watching the show with rapt attention, her long pink hair framing her face. Next to her was her three-year-old brother, Tai. He looked rather bored with the show (it _was_ kind of girly) and was fiddling with his bright red hair.

Natsu heard the front door slam; he raised his head to see a tired looking Erza, who apparently had just enough magic to Requip into something more comfortable. "Move," she commanded. Happy scrambled to the armrest, and Natsu sat up straight, leaving Erza to belly flop onto the couch in a heap, her head in Natsu's lap.

"Rough job?" asked Natsu as he started to play with Erza's hair.

"Not really. Just exhausted," replied Erza.

"Glad at least one of us is having fun," said Natsu. "Meanwhile, I'm stuck at home with five- and three-year-olds watching reruns of Maggie the Mage! I'm going crazy here, Erza!"

"Aye, me too!" said Happy.

"Well, it's your own fault for not controlling your magic," said Erza in that "I-know-better-than-you" voice.

"Hey, I didn't start that fight!" Natsu protested.

"Doesn't matter," said Erza. "You shouldn't have finished it." She sighed before adding "But then you wouldn't be a true Fairy Tail mage, or for that matter, the man I love, if you didn't."

This compliment stoked Natsu's ego a bit. "Awww, gimme some more of that sugar, Baby Red," Natsu said with a smirk.

Erza summoned the energy to glare at her husband. "Exactly what part of 'exhausted' did you not understand?" she asked dangerously. Natsu instantly shut up.

"Too bad you can't eat fire like me and Daddy, Mommy, or you'd feel better in no time!" said Faye brightly, causing Erza to look up in alarm.

"You have her eating fire already?" she exclaimed.

"But I've been eating it since I was three!" Natsu complained.

"I know, but I just worry if Faye's magic is strong enough to handle the consumption of actual fire at this point in her development," said Erza.

"Of course it is!" said Natsu adamantly. "Trust me, I'm teaching her the way Igneel taught me!"

"That's exactly what I'm worried about," said Erza with a sigh.

It was at this time that Faye decided to chime in. "Daddy, how come there aren't any Dragon Slayers on Maggie the Mage?" she asked.

The question his daughter asked took Natsu by surprise. Composing himself, he said, "Well, Faye, the thing about Dragon Slayer is that it's a Lost Magic…"

"But why is it lost?" Faye asked.

"Because only Dragons can teach it, as well as the children that learn it from them," said Natsu. He knelt down to Faye's level. "You have a very important responsibility, Faye. You have to teach your children the way of the Fire Dragon someday, or else the magic will be lost forever."

Faye's eyes were rapt with wonder as her father explained the importance of Dragon Slayer magic. She smiled brightly. "Okay, Daddy! I'll be a great Dragon Slayer just like you and teach my children everything you taught me!" she said enthusiastically. However, something else occurred to her, and she started to frown. "But what about Tai? Is he going to be a Dragon Slayer too?" she asked.

Natsu panicked. Tyson didn't have the same potential to be a Dragon Slayer as Faye did. How would his daughter react to the news that her brother wasn't as special as her?

Fortunately, Erza saved his ass.

"Actually, I wanted to teach Tai Requip magic when he gets a little older," the Titania told her daughter.

Faye's eyes widened. "Just like you, Mommy?" she asked in awe. Erza smiled brightly and gave a simple nod.

"Wooooow!" Faye exclaimed. "I wanna learn Requip just like Mommy!"

"Awww! But what about Dragon Slayer?" Natsu pouted.

Faye giggled. ""Don't worry, Daddy. I still wanna learn Dragon Slayer," she said. "If I can combine your magic with Mommy's magic, I'll be the bestest mage ever when I get big!"

Natsu chuckled. "Well, you'll have to be even scarier than Mommy then!" he said.

"I don't think I can handle anyone scarier than Erza!" Happy added. However, they failed to notice a seething Erza prepared to enact her own brand of justice on her husband and his cat.

"Look, Tai. Daddy and Happy are in trouble and now Mommy's going to beat 'em up," Faye told her brother excitedly, who was tearing up at the thought of his parents hurting each other. "On second thought, maybe I should cover your eyes."

And so she did.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Erza and Natsu were in bed together. Erza, still tired from her earlier job, was half-asleep in Natsu's lap, while the Salamander had his back propped up against the headboard. Happy was fast asleep at the foot of the bed.<p>

"Hey Erza," said Natsu. "Remember when you were pregnant with Faye, and you were freaking out about whether we'd be good parents or not?"

"Mmhmm," grunted Erza.

"Well, I've come to a realization this morning," said Natsu. "It comes and goes as it pleases, and it's always satisfying when it's there. Erza… you and I are awesome parents."

Erza sat up. "I know," she said. "You're great with the kids. It's like you were born to be a dad." She sighed. "I wasn't exactly the best mother these past three months, _no thanks to your probation."_

Natsu flinched. He had gotten beaten up by his wife once today, he wasn't about to risk it a second time. Composing himself, he replied, "Idiot. You've always made time for your family in between jobs. How does that make you a bad mother? It doesn't, it makes you Mom.

"I've always held fast to the belief that kids don't need to spend every waking moment with their parents. That's quantity time, which is no good for anyone involved. As long as you spend quality time with your family that they'll remember for the rest of their lives… Hell, you're doing something right."

Erza smiled. "Natsu, you have a way with words that always amazes me. And sometimes, it creeps me out, too."

Natsu blushed. "If I told you I got that from Lucy's novel, would you still think so?"

"No, but I would say Lucy's a good influence on you," replied Erza. The couple shared a laugh and a kiss.

Raising a family was hard on Erza at first. She was constantly balancing her home life and her work as a mage. But whether or not Natsu stole his words from Lucy, he was right about matters like this.

It was the time they spent as a family that always drove them both home.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah. Fluff. Much better than a lemon or a crack pairing. Then again, you don't really need to think shit like this through for it to turn out fine.<strong>

**Now for that question I was going to ask: Would you all enjoy seeing me write for Young Justice? I don't follow it faithfully (or not as faithfully as I'd like), but I have started to ship Superboy and Miss Martian, or Conner and Megan. So I may yet have an idea or two for them, but only if someone will read it. Actually, you know what? I'll just wait until I've seen all the episodes before passing any judgment on a story.**

**But that's for another day. For now, peace and love from Nightlingbolt! Bye!**


	9. I is for Isolation

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's chapter is brought to you by the letter I, as in Isolation!**

**Honestly, this is pretty much filler, so if you don't want to read this chapter, I won't stop you (not like I can). If you decide not to read, I'll just say this here: I have no plans to continue Conversion. I wrote it on my iPod spur of the moment early in the morning during the beginnings of a head cold and a sore throat, so I don't really have any plans for it. Besides, I would like to get started on some of my other ideas, primarily "It Takes A Guild," my next-gen Fairy Tail story. Besides, I have this, that, Heart to Heartfilia, When the Sky Falls, a project for a friend on deviantArt, and a potential Let's Play to worry about, and I just don't see any opportunity to craft a whole universe for Conversion. However, if anyone likes it, I'd be more than willing to let them adopt and continue it. Just send a PM my way, and we'll chat.**

**I could say more, but I don't want a large Author's Note to get in the way of the story, so without further ado, enjoy Isolation.**

**I own Dion Mencierte, and I own Human Requip. Anything else is Hiro Mashima's.**

* * *

><p>Team Natsu, or Fairy Tail's Strongest Team, was on the hunt for a recently escaped dark mage. He was last tracked to the town of Onibus, and the team was in hot pursuit thanks to Natsu's superior sense of smell.<p>

Suddenly, Natsu stopped at the entrance to an alley. "What's wrong?" asked Erza.

"Don't ask me how, but somehow, the guy managed to split his scent!" explained Natsu angrily.

"What?" asked a confused Lucy.

"He means he smells the perp's scent going in two different directions," said Gray, having long since gotten used to Natsu's way of wording things.

"Do you smell any other scents?" Erza asked Natsu.

The Dragon Slayer took a moment to sniff both paths, then gave his analysis. "I only smell one other scent straight ahead, but there's at least half a dozen down the alley," he said. "That's probably how he split up his own scent!"

"Hired thugs?" asked Lucy.

"Most likely," replied Gray.

"I would surmise that our escapee has gone down the path where he would be better protected," said Erza.

"I don't think so," said Lucy. "The straight path leads right to the town square, so if he goes that way, civilians are bound to get involved, which works to his advantage."

Natsu closed his eyes and tilted his head downward in a thoughtful position. "I agree with Lucy. He puts us at more of a disadvantage if we have to worry about people getting hurt," he said.

"Wouldn't we also be at a disadvantage fighting in close quarters?" asked Happy, speaking up for the first time.

"Yes, but so would he," said Erza. "In that sense, it wouldn't matter."

"So what's our plan of attack?" asked Gray.

"You, Happy, and Lucy will take the straight path, sticking only to melee attacks if forced to engage. Natsu, you'll be going down the alley with me," Erza ordered. "Ready…? BREAK!" The two teams went their separate ways.

No sooner than Natsu and Erza gone ten feet into the alley had the thugs Lucy spoke of decided to attack. They were advancing quickly, and Erza took a battle stance.

Natsu, however, gave Erza his signature grin and said, "Hang back, Erza. I got this." Erza barely had time to protest before a large flame engulfed Natsu's feet. "Fire Dragon's Claw!" he shouted.

His feet rocketed him into one of the thugs, then he managed to propel himself into another, repeating until they were all knocked out.

Erza wanted to compliment Natsun how well he had used that attack, but she didn't want to sound like a fangirl. Granted, she was his girlfriend, so she had every right to, but she had a little more class than that, and instead settled for saying, "There goes my fun for the day."

"Not yet," said Natsu. "I hear their boss is pretty tough!"

"Thank you for the compliment," said a new voice. The two mages saw a man in his early thirties come out of hiding. The first thing Erza noticed was his hideous green trenchcoat and how it clashed with his plum hair.

"Dion Mencierte, you are wanted for use of illegal magic, sale of forbidden magical items, and escaping the Magic Council's prison!" Erza announced. "You are to come quietly or we will use force!"

"_Please_ don't come quietly!" said Natsu. "Your henchmen were weak as crap!"

"Such are hired thugs, Salamander Natsu," said Mencierte. "Always looking for money, never qualified for the job. And Titania Erza, you will be pleased to know that I stand no chance against you both in a fair fight."

"Then do you surrender?" Erza asked.

Mencierte smirked. "When did I say that?" he said with a laugh.

"Talk straight, you bastard!" Natsu yelled, his fist aflame. Meanwhile, Erza muttered "They always choose the hard way." Both mages charged at Mencierte, Erza not having chosen an armor, waiting to determine how her opponent would fight. However, to both their surprise, Natsu and Erza were frozen in place when they got within five feet of Mencierte.

"Ah!" exclaimed Mencierte. "You've activated my Justu Shiki trap!" Sure enough, Natsu and Erza saw a message saying, "Mages caught within this field are forbidden from all movement or magic except their mouths."

"You bastard!" Erza spat.

"I chose my words carefully, Titania!" said Mencierte. "I said I stood no chance in a _fair_ fight! Now, I can kill you with one well-placed blow each. But then you wouldn't be suffering, now would you?" He spread his arms out as two purple magic circles appeared in between Natsu and Erza.

"Human Requip!" he shouted. The circles closed in on the Fairy Tail mages, and in a flash of light, they disappeared from sight.

* * *

><p>The next thing Natsu knew, he and Erza had landed in some weird place. Everything around them was white. Actually, nothing at all was around them. There was only a floor and nothing else.<p>

"Mencierte!" Natsu screamed. "Let us out of here, you jerk!"

Fortunately, Erza had a better grasp on the situation than her boyfriend. "Calm down, Natsu," she said after landing a hard hit on the Dragon Slayer. "This is only a pocket dimension."

"Pocket dimension? You mean we're in someone's pocket?" asked Natsu. He didn't seem to like the idea one bit.

Erza sighed. "A pocket dimension is a space where Requip users store their belongings," she said. "I knew Mencierte was proficient in many forms of illegal magic, but I didn't think he could use Human Requip."

"Human Requip? Like Requipping humans?"

"Yup," said Erza. "It was outlawed due to its use in human trafficking throughout the years. However, we're not totally stuck here… so long as Lucy and Gray defeat Mencierte."

"Oh, then we'll be out of here in no time!" said Natsu with a smile. "Lucy's strong, and so is Gray, though I'd never tell him so myself. But that doesn't mean he's stronger than me!"

Erza could only smile at her boyfriend's confidence, with no doubt in her mind it was perfectly placed. Natsu's rivalry with Gray was as strong as ever, and Lucy was well on her way to becoming one of Fairy Tail's top mages. In fact, she was recently named Sorcerer Weekly's "Premier Celestial Spirit Mage," a title befitting of someone who's gathered nearly all the Golden Keys. Still, Erza was somewhat jealous of Lucy for one simple reason.

Natsu kept sleeping in her bed.

Erza knew Natsu wasn't the cheating type, but she also knew he wouldn't tell her straight to her face if he decided to break up with her. Having decided on her course of action, she spoke. "Natsu?"

"Yeah?" said Natsu.

"What is your relationship with Lucy?"

Natsu looked surprised that Erza would ask him that. "We're best friends. I thought you knew that already," he answered.

"Yes, but according to Lucy, you end up falling asleep in her bed a lot," said Erza tersely. "Sometimes with her in it!"

"Eh, I'd sleep in your bed, but I'm not allowed at Fairy Hills," said Natsu.

"Anyone is welcome at Fairy Hills as long as they are an invited guest of one of the residents. Even boys," said Erza. "You should know this, Natsu! I've had you over several times, and we cuddle about half the time!" She punctuated this statement with a harsh glare.

"Natsu, if there's something you're not telling me, then please tell me already!" Erza shouted. "If you don't love me anymore, I deserve to know about it instead of letting you just lead me on!"

By this point, Erza was blinking back tears. It was at this point that Natsu decided he couldn't hide it anymore. "You're right, Erza," he said. "You deserve to know the truth."

Erza braced herself for the inevitable good-bye.

"I've been keeping this to myself for a while now, but now I see that I was only hurting you by doing that."

She should have known she was never meant to be happy. First Jellal betrayed her, now Natsu was breaking up with her.

Natsu took a deep breath and began to speak. "Erza… your bed's not comfortable. At all."

"WHAT?" screeched Erza as she punched Natsu with as much force as she could muster.

"You make me think you're leaving me for another woman, and you tell me my bed isn't comfortable?"

"Um… yes?" said Natsu timidly, bracing himself for yet another blow. However, much to his surprise, he found himself being kiss attacked by his girlfriend.

"You idiot!... Don't ever … scare me like that… again!" Erza said, planting kisses all over Natsu's face in between her words.

Natsu giggled. "Of course not, Baby Red," he replied. "But seriously, your bed's hard as a rock."

"Is not!" Erza pouted childishly. "It's just very firm! It's good for my posture!"

"I can hardly sleep on that thing!" said Natsu dramatically.

"Well, maybe we'll have to give some serious thought to me moving in with you, won't we, Honey Dragon?" cooed Erza.

Natsu froze up for a moment. "Can't you just get one of those Sleep Number beds?" he asked.

"Do you have any idea how much those things cost?" asked Erza.

"I can deal with your hard – sorry, _firm!_ – bed until you save up enough," said Natsu.

"Good," said Erza. Because I don't want you slouching!"

"In bed!" said Natsu with a cheeky grin.

"Really," muttered Erza. "You really went there."

"For you, I'll go anywhere," said Natsu.

"Nice segue," complimented Erza. Natsu just kissed her in response. It was sweet and tender, and when Natsu's tongue sought entrance, Erza complied without hesitation.

They kissed for about ten minutes, when suddenly, there was a flash of light, and they hit the ground and found themselves in the Onibus town square. They took in the scene before them. Lucy and Gray were breathing heavily, standing over an apparently defeated Mencierte.

"You guys have crappy timing," said Natsu.

"Oh, excuse us for defeating him while we had the chance!" Gray retorted. This sparked one of their famous arguments, which did NOT suit Lucy's mood.

"Listen, you stupid shitheads," the Celestial Mage growled. "I had to summon three, count 'em, THREE Golden Key Spirits in that fight! I am NOT about to let that go to waste with you two DESTROYING everything! So knock it off before I destroy YOU! GOT IT?" The boys could only nod, and once she banged their heads together, Lucy was satisfied.

"Natsu was right, you know," said Erza with a wink. "You do have bad timing."

Lucy could only blush at what Erza was implying.

* * *

><p><strong>If you made it through, congratulations, here's a cookie. If you liked it, here's two. If you didn't like it but have the balls to tell me, here's some ice cream to sandwich in between the cookies.<strong>

**Off-hand, what would you guys call a JellalNatsuErza triangle story? Because I recently finished one up (and trust me, it's a long-ass piece of pie), and I have no idea what the title should be.**

**Anyway, once that's up, I'll be rewriting Cheat and Guilt a little bit to reflect the events in it (because they contradict what was already there). And be on the lookout for a new series of Lucy oneshots called "Love and Luc y" (the space is intentional). Basically, it's oneshots of Lucy paired with various Fairy Tail characters, uploaded and worked on when I feel I have time and whenever inspiration strikes me. But that's for another day, so until then, peace and love from Nightlingbolt!**


	10. J is for Jealousy

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to Chapter J of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" And the theme for today is Jealousy!**

**I guess it's kind of a sequel to Date, since Shizuka is featured in it. Yeah, the waitress. Deal. Or No Deal? You decide. And I know I should be posting the rewritten chapters, but, well, this got done first. And I got nothing to say here, so let's just move on with the story, shall we?**

**I own Shizuka and her Yellow Fire magic, and I own the move Natsu used on Erza during their match. Everything else is Hiro Mashima's.**

**Rated T for a drunken Erza.**

* * *

><p>Natsu and Erza were training out in a clearing just outside of Magnolia. As usual, Erza was giving Natsu a run for his money, and it was all the Salamander could do to defend himself.<p>

He found an opening and made his move. Holding out his hand with his thumb and index finger positioned like he was holding a gun, a small flame formed on his fingertip. "Fire Dragon's Piercing Flare!" he shouted. A beam of compressed fire energy shot from his finger and struck Erza square in the chest.

Fortunately, due to the effects of her Flame Empress armor, the beam didn't pierce through any more than her armor. Unfortunately, the beam was strong enough on its own to completely split the breastplate of the armor in two, thus nullifying the whole armor's effect. Erza quickly changed into her samurai outfit, realizing Natsu could and would do the same to any other armor.

Unfortunately for her, the split-second opening that she needed to Requip was enough so that Natsu could punch her in the stomach with a flame-powered fist, reducing the Titania to her knees.

"It seems this is your victory, Natsu," said Erza, genuinely impressed with her boyfriend's improvement. Natsu had come close before, but it was always Flame Empress that stood in his way. True, he had overloaded it before, but that usually took up more magic than she would've liked were she in his situation. That technique cleanly disabled her main strategy against fire users. "Where did you learn that move?"

"Macao taught me how to compress my fire to maximize its damage. Neat, huh?" Natsu said with a grin.

Erza smiled. "Yes, Macao does seem to know his stuff about Fire magic," she agreed.

"Natsu!" a female voice called. Both mages turned to see the newest addition to Fairy Tail, Shizuka.

"Hey, Shizuka!" Natsu said loudly and happily.

"Gray told me I could find you here, Natsu," said Shizuka. "I need your help with something."

"Sure. What?" asked Natsu.

"I'm working on a new technique similar to your Iron Fist move, but every time I ignite my hand, I feel it start to burn."

"Yeah, I remember having that problem when Igneel first started teaching me," said Natsu wistfully. "The trick is manipulating the flame's temperature to match your own." He lit his hand on fire to demonstrate. "Go on, grab my hand," the Salamander prompted the yellow-clad girl.

Shizuka did just as Natsu instructed and took hold of the fiery hand. She let out a gasp of surprise. "It isn't hot," she said.

"Yeah, I know. Cool, right?" said Natsu. Shizuka just giggled at the unintentional pun. "It takes a lot of practice, but if you do it right once, it'll become second nature to you in no time!"

"Thanks, Natsu!" Shizuka said with a bright smile. "It means a lot to me that a great mage like you is helping me." She turned to leave, and Natsu looked at Erza with a bright smile.

"She's gonna be great one day. Just you wait!" he said.

"Yeah. Great," grunted Erza halfheartedly. She wore an irritated scowl on her face as she stomped off back to the guild.

"That was weird," said a confused Natsu.

* * *

><p>What was that, Erza? What the HELL was that? <strong>(Seems I had to add the exclamations in manually, though I'm positive they were there in the original Word document. Oh well.)<strong>

That was the question Erza was currently asking herself, sitting at the guild bar. Lisanna was sitting on her left side, Lucy and Cana on her right, and Mirajane tending the bar, as per usual.

"Another round, Mira," Erza ordered.

"Ah-ah-ah, I wouldn't give it to her, Mira," piped up Cana.

"What?" Erza growled, causing Lucy to flinch.

"Look, you just had three shots of straight whiskey, and at worst you usually only have two glasses of wine during movie night at Fairy Hills! That shit's too strong for a primarily social drinker like you to be drinking that much that fast!" Cana explained nervously.

"Cana's right, Erza," said Mira gently. "I think you should take it easy for a little while. Maybe even tell us what's got you in a drinking mood tonight."

Erza grumbled to herself about Mira always being right. "I just don't like how close Shizuka's getting to Natsu, is all," she said.

"You're jealous!" cooed Lucy. "I knew you guys were good together!"

"Welcome to the party, Erza," said Lisanna.

"Lucy, shut up! Lisanna, what are you talking about?" Erza barked.

"It's just, I remember when we were kids," replied Lisanna. "We all thought Natsu was the cutest boy in the guild, and we'd all get jealous whenever he smiled at one of us."

"Yes, well, thank God we're all more mature now than we were then," said Mira as she looked from Erza to Lisanna and back again nervously.

"I'll drink to that!" cheered Cana.

"What won't you drink to, Cana?" muttered Erza darkly.

"I dunno. Pedophiles?" Everyone laughed and cheered at this remark.

"Anyway," said Lisanna, continuing her train of thought. "When I came back from Edolas, I noticed just how close Natsu and Lucy had gotten, and you know what? I found it in me to move on and be happy for him."

"I thought _I_ was Natsu's/Lucy's girlfriend," Erza and Cana pouted.

"You are! You are!" said Lisanna a little too quickly.

"Damn straight."

"Jinx!" exclaimed Erza. Cana shrugged and resumed her drink.

"My point is, we've all grown up, we've all moved on, and we can all talk about Natsu without anyone getting jealous. But you, Erza… you're still jealous of Shizuka just because Natsu is lending her a helping hand."

"So what?" said Erza.

"That's the magic of jealousy," said Lisanna. "It tells us just how much we love and care about someone special to us. It's the anger, the passion, the 'what-has-she-got-that-I-haven't got?' that drives our romantic endeavors. You care so much whether Natsu spends time with Shizuka because you love him unconditionally."

Erza's slightly drunken mind processed Lisanna's words and decided that she was right. She did love her Honey Dragon, and she needed to get to work on making sure he knew just how much his Baby Red loved him. "I know what I must do!" she announced, and she stormed away from the bar, though the effect was somewhat dampened by her drunken gait.

"This will not end well for Natsu," said Lisanna.

"Should we stop her?" asked Lucy.

"No," said Mira gravely. "We'll only get caught in the crossfire."

"I'm jinxed, so I got nothing to say," said Cana. Lucy punched her girlfriend in the arm and said her name three times.

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><p>Natsu walked home tired, yet satisfied. Shizuka was progressing well from what he saw. Her new move, Solar Breakdown, still had a few kinks to work out, but she seemed to be handling things just fine. It was Natsu's honest opinion that Shizuka would be ready for the S-Class Trials when they next came around, and she would have his recommendation, no problem.<p>

When he got home, the first thing Natsu noticed was that his door was open. Figuring Happy had let himself in, he opened it and called out the Exceed's name a few times. Shrugging, he figured Happy was in their room.

That was when he noticed the scent of alcohol coming down the hall. Strange. Happy didn't drink, and Natsu hadn't been drinking tonight, instead opting for a refreshing chocolate smoothie. He would've opted for a cola, but the guild didn't carry caffeine-free varieties, and he didn't want to be kept up. Peering into his room, he saw…

…Erza, in her skimpiest black lingerie, passed out on his bed with a bundle of rope in her hand. Natsu wasn't the smartest guy in the world, of course, but even he shuddered at the thought of what Erza had in store for him with that rope.

Natsu poked Erza in the forehead as gently as he could, fearing that he was walking into a trap. All she ended up doing was moaning in her sleep. Satisfied, he removed the rope from her hand and tossed it as far away from the Titania as he could. He then stripped to his boxers and lifted Erza off the bed so they could slide under the covers. Finally, he pulled Erza close to his body and kissed her on the lips before finally falling asleep himself. All the while, he was oblivious to the seemingly unconscious Erza's smirk of victory.

Let's see him do _that_ for his little protégé.

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><p><strong>Once again, I'm positive I completely ran away from the theme. I dunno, a little feedback, please?<strong>

**Until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt! And I'm sorry for like, no comments this chapter, but I got nothing else going on right now.**


	11. K is for Knight

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here, bringing you yet another chapter of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's letter is K for Knight!**

**I struggled with this letter for a bit. There just didn't seem to be any good K words that would fit. But eventually, this idea struck, and let it be known that I will NEVER attempt to write another setting like this unless the fandom I'm writing for is set in that setting. I struggled to make it work, but eventually, I decided... Well, I'll let you read for yourself.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters. That honor belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

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><p>Lady Erza the Scarlet, a knight of King Makarov's round table, was traveling towards Mount Igneel, a volcanic region to the north of Magnolia, or the Royal City.<p>

Her task was to slay the dread dragon Salamander that had been terrorizing the village at the base of the mountain. She was accompanied by a fellow knight by the name of Sir Jellal.

Jellal had come from the neighboring kingdom of Caelum and already earned the King's favor by defeating the Black Knight Erigor. Though she was grateful to the blue-haired knight for his service to the King, she was somewhat troubled by him. Nonetheless, the King had put his full confidence in him, and so, she would as well.

"Pray tell, Lady Erza, how much farther until we reach the village?" asked Jellal.

"'Tis no more than ten miles, Sir Jellal," replied Erza.

"Then let us make haste, for our destiny awaits!" cried Jellal. He spurred his steed, a black horse, onward. Erza did the same, and together, the duo made their way onwards.

When they reached the village, Erza and Jellal learned that the dragon's appearance was only a recent phenomenon. All the villagers knew was that a knight of Makarov's court had come to the volcano seeking a treasure, and three days later, a dragon started attacking the village.

"'Tis most suspicious indeed," said Erza. "Methinks I smell a trap."

"Bah!" Jellal scoffed. "The knave more than likely tried to collect a cursed treasure. We shalt destroy it and return our fellow to his rightful form!"

"Yea verily," said Erza half-heartedly. Though Makarov was a wise king whose judgment she fully trusted, she still could not say the same for the knight. Still, she thought, better to keep him close, if only for her sake. She and Jellal spurred their horses on towards the volcano with the sole intent of slaying a dragon.

As they rode to the base of the volcano, the horses started to buck and whinny. "Whoa, girl!" said Jellal. His horse calmed down, and Jellal dismonted. "I do believe the horses are afraid to go any further. We'll have to continue our quest on foot," he explained. Erza only nodded her approval, and the pair continued onwards.

About halfway up the mountain, Erza heard a faint rumbling. It grew louder and louder until…

"Watch out!" Jellal screamed as he tackled Erza off to the side, just in time to save her from a large boulder.

Except… Jellal himself was crushed by said boulder.

"Jellal!" she cried out, knowing subconsciously her pleas were in vain.

"Erza…" Jellal wheezed. "Slay the Salamander… not for me… but for our King… and the Kingdom… of… Fiore…"

Tears invaded Erza's eyes now. "I will, brave knight," she said. "Your noble sacrifice shan't be in vain!" Jellal just smiled and allowed his eyes to close, the sweet grasp of death taking him.

Erza was shaken up from the events that had just occurred. But however much it affected her, she could not – _would_ not – let it interfere with her quest. She trudged on, sword in hand, ready to slay the dread dragon Salamander.

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><p>Erza bravely marched towards the cave where the fell beast dwelt, and drew her sword. "Salamander! I, Lady Erza the Scarlet, have come to smite you in the name of the Kingdom of Fiore!"<p>

The dragon roared and stomped out of its cave to get a look at the female knight who came to slay it. It was large, as most dragons were, with crimson scales and the smell of sulfur around it. It let loose a blast of fire, which Erza rolled out of the way of.

The beast would not be denied its victory so easily. It continued to breath fire at the knight, and all Erza could do was guard against it with her shield. She soon saw an opening, rushed up to Salamander, and stabbed it in the heart.

The beast howled in pain for a moment, then glowed a bright yellow, much to Erza's surprise. Her great blade Titania was made especially for slaying dragons, but sometimes, it dispelled curses relating to dragons. That meant…

The dread dragon Salamander was actually a human being.

The dragon assumed a human shape, and with a loud clang, Titania was forced out of its heart. Finally, the light faded to reveal a pink-haired young man in a suit of armor designating him as one of King Makarov's knights.

"Lady Erza?" the man asked disoriented.

Erza recognized that head of pink hair. "Sir Natsu!" she exclaimed.

"I always knew your great blade Titania would free me from the dragon's curse," he said. "I thank thee for your valor."

"No thanks are necessary, Sir Natsu," replied Erza. "But pray tell. How did you come to be cursed by a dragon?"

"Like you, I too came here to slay a dragon," said Natsu. "However, the beast played a trick on me and cast its wicked magic on me, transforming me into a dragon like him, while it assumed a human form."

"Do you remember the Dragon's name?" Erza prompted.

"I do," said Natsu. "It was Jellal."

Erza felt a jolt of horror go through her. Jellal? The Jellal she traveled all this way with? No! He was dead!

Wasn't he?

"Ah. I was too late to stop you from revealing my secret, Natsu. Oh well, you both die here anyway," said an all too familiar voice.

Jellal.

"What black magic is this, Jellal?" Erza demanded bravely, though she was scared half to death.

'Tis the power of a dragon, Lady Erza," said Jellal simply. "I do not die but to beheading or a sword through the heart."

"Then… you were the dragon of Mount Igneel!" shouted Erza.

"Yes, and no," said Jellal with a chuckle. "Igneel, for whom this mountain was named, was a dragon of peace. He never raised a claw to the villagers that dwelt below his mountain. Some call it inspiring, I call it… weakness." Here, Jellal flashed a wicked smile.

"So I did what must be done. I killed Igneel, took his mountain as my own, and terrorized the village at my convenience. Eventually, Sir Natsu arrived to slay me. However, I cursed the knave and took on a human form, while he would become a dragon to carry on my legacy of terror.

"So now, Lady Erza," said Jellal as he drew his sword. "You die." With those words, he lunged.

Erza cursed herself for not reaching for her sword. On top of that, she could not will her body to move. _"This is it,"_ she thought. _"I'm really going to die."_

She opened her eyes, not even realizing she had closed them, to see Natsu blocking Jellal's sword with his own. "Natsu!" she exclaimed.

Determination was wrought all over Natsu's features. "Seize Titania and slay this beast!" he yelled. "I shall keep him busy!" Erza nodded and reached for her sword.

Jellal cackled. "No mere knight shall oppose me!" he shouted with glee. He roared as a black light engulfed him, and when it faded, there stood a dark blue humanoid dragon.

"Have at thee!" Natsu yelled and charged at Jellal. The dragon knocked his sword out of his grasp with a clawed hand and blasted what appeared to be a meteor at the knight, knocking him back.

"You cannot defeat me, Sir Natsu," growled Jellal. "I hold the powers of a true dragon!"

Natsu smirked. "Then 'tis a good thing I hold equal power," he said.

"What?" exclaimed Jellal.

"When Lady Erza pierced me with the great sword Titania, she broke the curse that you laid upon me," explained Natsu. "However, Titania breaks the curses of dragons… without stripping their victims of the powers they've obtained.

"I thank thee, Jellal. Through your dark magic, I have gained the powers of a true dragon, and thanks to Lady Erza, I have been reborn… as a Dragon Slayer!" Erza and Jellal both gasped at this revealation.

Natsu took a deep breath. "Fire Dragon's… Roar!" He exhaled a blast of flame, burning Jellal all over. The dark creature screamed in pain, and when the flames finally died out, Jellal fell to his knees, charred and weakened.

"Now, Erza!" exclaimed Natsu. "Aim for the heart and strike true!" Erza thrust her sword into Jellal's heart. Blood spurted from his chest as he gave one final roar before succumbing to grim death.

As Jellal the Dragon died, Erza woke up with a start. She looked around and saw that she was sitting in a train car, coming back to Magnolia after their little vacation. As reality started to return to Erza's mind, she remembered that Lucy had met a boy at the station and was currently having lunch with him in the dining car, whereas Gray and Happy had decided they'd rather be anywhere but next to a groaning Natsu.

Currently, Natsu was fast asleep, his sickness from eating the Magic Council's Etherion blast cancelling out his usual motion sickness. Basically, he was too sick to be sick, if that made any sense.

This was a far cry from the Natsu in her dream, so bold and confident and charming… not that he wasn't any of those things in real life, of course.

Wait… Charming? Did she just call Natsu charming?

Well, she _had_ harbored a small crush on the Salamander for a while now, and it had only grown with the events of the Tower fresh in her mind. But the thing is, Natsu never needed to be charming before.

Of course, it didn't hurt, but Erza decided she could do without.

She leaned over to Natsu's forehead. "Sweet dreams, my knight in dragon scales," she whispered as she placed a light kiss on her forehead. She looked up to see Lucy, having returned from her lunch date, smiling and giving her the thumbs up.

Erza glared at the Celestial Mage, telling her to keep it to herself without words. Lucy only shrugged and waved it off, giving a nonverbal reply that she wouldn't tell anyone.

But enough about Erza's crush. She was dying to hear about Lucy's date.

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><p><strong>I imagine I confused a few of you with this chapter, so I'll explain. The idea is that Erza was having a dream, which served as a metaphor for Erza's life. When the boulder crushed Jellal, it represented Erza losing him. Salamander turning into Sir Natsu is Erza meeting Natsu, and the battle with Jellal at the end, however much I may have half-assed it, was symbolic of Natsu saving Erza during the Tower of Heaven arc. The fact that it all took place in a medieval setting was indictive of the nature of Erza's magic. Too bad I couldn't work in Natsu eating Etherion, but that's just how it goes sometimes.<strong>

**I have ideas in mind for L through P, R through T, and W, but that's about it. Anyone interested in tossing out ideas for Q, U, V, X, Y, and Z? And speaking of which, I'm not sure when I'll write L, just because I have another project or two in mind. SmurfLuvsCookies knows what project I'm talking about.**

**And I guess I'll formally announce the ABCs of Natsu and Erza Q&A here. Basically, you can ask me any question pertaining to the story or the canon I've established for it, but you gotta get it in before I post the L chapter, which isn't written yet, and I'll be focusing on something else for the next week or so, so don't worry about getting it in in time. Furthermore, I WILL ONLY ACCEPT QUESTIONS ASKED THROUGH REVIEWS OF THIS OR THE NEXT CHAPTER. ANY EARLIER, AND I WON'T EVEN CONSIDER IT.**

**So with that said, I think I'm just about done for this chapter. Until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt! Bye!**


	12. L is for Lost

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's prompt is L for Lost!**

**So yeah, five days since my last update. Bet you guys weren't expecting that. And I come with an even bigger treat near the end, though if you follow me on Twitter (which you SHOULD, by the way!), you'd know what that... actually, shit, I spoiled that in my profile last night. Oh well, I'll just say it again. Lyon and Sherri make an appearance in this chapter, along with their son Caen.**

**Finally, a BIG thank you to IceCreamAndPizza if you're somehow reading this. Chapter 2 of her Pokeshipping fic, "The Joys of Children" totally inspired this chapter. I saw it back in May or so, and I'm like, "God, I can totally see Faye pulling this kind of crap." So again, major thank you!**

**I own the city of Marin, Faye and Tai Dragneel, as well as Caen Bastia. However, they are only original characters, and Hiro Mashima owns damn near everything else.**

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><p>It wasn't often Natsu and Erza got to bring the kids with them on a mission. Hell, it was rarer still whe<p>

n they took missions together these days. But they had found a simple job that paid a respectable amount. Best of all, they had had the client before, and Erza trusted her enough to babysit Faye and Tai while she and Natsu did what they had to do.

That's how the Dragneel family found themselves in the city of Marin, a bustling seaside town famous for its shopping center. The plan was to find and arrest the dark mage that was extorting the local businesses and hopefully leave a day for exploring the city, and it went off without a hitch.

Currently, Erza had found a Hearts Kreuz outlet and opted to look inside, leaving Natsu to look after five-year-old Faye and three-year-old Tai.

"Out! Daddy, out!" Tai demanded. Natsu smiled. Both his kids never liked to sit still for too long. Faye was old enough so she could walk on her own, but poor Tai was going stir-crazy from that stroller.

As Natsu took Tai out of the stroller, he pondered for a moment why they were necessary. Igneel had never needed one with him, and he remembered being as hyper as hyper could be.

"Daddy, I'm thirsty!" said Faye. "Can I please have a juice box?"

"Me too, please!" chimed in Tai.

Natsu laughed boisterously. Erza really drilled politeness into those kids! "Sure thing guys!" he said with a smile. He turned away from the kids towards the bag Erza had brought to get the kids their drinks.

Big mistake, Natsu.

"Urrrgh!" Natsu groaned. "I'd forgotten how much Erza loves shopping!"

"Aye," agreed Happy. "But at least she's not as bad as Lisanna, or God forbid, Lucy."

"Yeah," said Natsu. "At least Erza's mostly a window shopper. Lucy makes us… carry bags!" The Salamander made a face at this.

"Well, the good news is, whenever I'm with Lisanna, Bixlow's always there with his dolls carrying stuff," said Happy.

"Yeah, Bixlow may be creepy, but when it comes to shopping, the man's a saint," said Natsu. He frowned. "We're out of the apple juice," he groaned.

"So?"

"Faye loves her apple juice," said Natsu. "Tai will drink anything, but for Faye, it's apple juice or nothing." He turned around. "Hey, Faye, we're out of apple juice, can you drink-" He stopped mid-sentence to find Faye not where she was, and for that matter, Tai was gone too.

"Happy… did you see where the kids ran off to?" asked Natsu.

"I was busy talking to you," said Happy.

Natsu was starting to panic now. "Faye? Tai?" he called out nervously. "No hide-and-seek now!" No response. "Faye? Tai?"

"Erza's going to kill you," Happy pointed out helpfully.

"Don't you think I know that?" yelled Natsu. "We gotta find the kids before Erza realizes they're gone!"

"Aye, sir!" said a determined Happy. "You look that way, I'll look this way!" Happy pointed in opposite directions to emphasize his point, and like that, the Exceed and Dragon Slayer were off to find the kids and/or stop Erza from totally destroying their asses.

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><p>Meanwhile, Faye had dragged her brother into the Hearts Kreuz store. "Faye!" Tai whined. "We have to stay with Daddy!"<p>

"Don't worry!" Faye said with a grin. "As long as we find Mommy, he won't care!"

"But how are we going to find Mommy?" Tai asked.

"I'll use my Dragon Slayer senses, silly!" said Faye. "Mommy has a real pretty scent that's hard to miss!" She sniffed the air, looking for a whiff of her mother's scent. Having found it, she yelled "Let's go!" and whisked Tai off to where Erza was.

That would be looking at a long coat in the back of the store. When she heard Faye's voice acknowledging her mother, Erza dropped the coat in surprise.

"Faye? Tai? What are you kids doing here? Where's Daddy?" she asked them.

"Daddy was talking with Happy and I got bored, so I went to find you!" said Faye happily.

"I wanted to stay with Daddy!" said Tai indignantly.

Erza grimaced. Faye definitely had her father's attention span, that was for sure. "Where's Daddy now?" she asked.

"I think he's still outside the store!" said Faye.

"_God, I hope so,"_ thought Erza, preferring to keep her mind off what Natsu could do in his desperation. Spurring her children onward, they began to search for the Dragon Slayer before he could do any real harm.

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><p>Natsu was in a frenzy by now. It had been ten minutes, and there had been no sign of his son or his daughter. To make matters worse, Erza was probably hunting him down and looking for blood.<p>

He wouldn't blame her, though. He had really screwed up this time, possibly even worse than Erza's one night stand with Jellal. They could work through that, but if anything happened to their babies…

No. Natsu would not continue down that train of thought. He had to find them before that became a reality. He HAD to!

Of course, shaking random mallgoers while asking if they'd seen his son, daughter, or both was not really the wisest choice of action. But when you have to answer to Erza Dragneel, you don't want to fuck anything up in the slightest. Except this was as far from slight as you could get.

Out of the corner of his eye, Natsu spotted Lyon and Sherri Bastia, along with their son Caen. Natsu got along well with Lyon, which is odd considering his relationship with Gray and the fact that they practically used the same magic. But this was not the time to contemplate irony.

"Lyon! Thank God! I lost Faye and Tai and now I need your help to find them before Erza totally kills me!" Natsu rambled.

Lyon stared at Natsu with a deadpan expression. "And this is my problem how, exactly?"

Natsu gaped. "Damn it, man! I'm desperate here!" he yelled.

Sherri slapped him. "How dare you use that language in front of my son!" she screeched.

"He was going to hear it eventually," said Lyon, totally unfazed by what was going on.

"Lyon!" Sherri gasped indignantly.

While the adults argued, Caen took a stance and muttered, "Ice Make… Eagle." A bird of ice materialized in his hands. Then, using a little Doll Magic, he established a visual link with the creature and sent it off flying.

"Natsu… what is going on here?" a feminine voice growled. Natsu turned around to see Faye and Tai safe and sound beside an angry Titania.

"Er-erza!" stuttered Natsu.

"Hi, Daddy! Hi, Caen!" said Faye excitedly.

"Oh, there they are," said Sherri. Caen sighed and dispelled the bird.

"Where have you two BEEN?" Natsu roared. "Do you know how worried I was?"

"Worried for them, or for your own a-"

"Lyon!"

"Butt?"

"We were with Mommy the whole time!" said Faye.

"Why didn't you say anything?" asked Natsu.

"Mmmm… it's funnier that way!" said Faye with a grin.

"WHAT?"

"No, it's not, Faye!" said Erza in a no-nonsense tone. "Your father thought you were in real danger! Something bad could have happened!"

"Silly Mommy! Nothing bad could happen as long as you're around!" said Faye.

Erza just let herself absorb the compliment. "Just don't do anything like that again, okay, honey?" she said oftly

"Okay, Mommy," Faye promised.

"And _especially_ don't drag your brother into these situations!" said Erza.

"I won't, Mommy."

"So, I guess we'll be on our way then?" said Lyon. "Come on, Caen." The Bastias walked away, but not before Faye gave Caen a dirty look, which the six-year-old just ignored.

"And as for you, Natsu…" Erza began with venom in her voice. Natsu sighed. The shit was really hitting the fan now.

Erza sighed. "I suppose this situation resolved itself," she said. "But in the future, please pay more attention to the children."

"I was getting them juice boxes!" Natsu complained. "Happy was supposed to watch them!" A thought occurred to him. "Where is Happy, anyway?"

Wouldn't you know it, Happy was at the seafood restaurant trying to talk the hostess into giving him a fish.

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><p><strong>And there we go! I have to say, I had fun writing this one once I got going. Including Lyon and Sherri was, in all honesty, a spur-of-the-monent decision. They didn't really need to be there, yet somehow, it works. I dunno, I guess I just wanted Natsu to find a semi-friendly face to aid in his search, but Lyon... eh, he just doesn't care.<strong>

**I'll be working on M for the next few days, and when that's posted, I'm putting this story on a month-long hiatus. During this time, I hope to go over every little inconsistency I can find in this story and fix it, since I'm trying to keep all these chapters connected.**

**I actually have a couple ideas for stories independent from this canon, but we'll see where those lead. And again, I am NOT working on Conversion anymore, so don't even ask.**

**Anyway, I've said about all I need to say, so until the next chapter, peace and love from Nightlingbolt! Buh-bye!**


	13. M is for Morning

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to the final chapter of the first half of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" And we close Part One of this story off with the letter M as in Morning!**

**The first part of this chapter went by well, but I did have to play around with ideas until I found one I liked. And I notice I write more about Erza's interactions with the girls than Natsu's interactions with the guys, which strikes me as kind of odd, since I am indeed a guy. Oh well, I guess I have a better grasp of the female characters, and there's really nothing wrong with that... is there?**

**And so, I have nothing to say, except enjoy the chapter!**

**I don't own these characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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><p>The first thing Erza noticed this morning was that the sun was too damn bright. Now, Erza Scarlet was not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination, so when the light started shining through the curtains, she was rather cranky.<p>

The second thing Erza noticed was that she was alone. Normally, this didn't worry her, but last night, she had her boyfriend over, and they had gotten… intimate… with each other.

What really rubbed Erza the wrong way was that this was the first time they had gone all the way. Yes, they had been dating for quite some time, but Erza was adamant about waiting until marriage.

However, the guild had welcomed a new member into their ranks. She had one of those complicated names that nobody remembers the first time, and Erza was no exception to that rule. Either way, the guild had had one of their customary welcoming parties, complete with more alcohol than you could shake a stick at. And Erza had partaken of it against her better judgment.

The thing is, she was drunk enough that it affected her judgment, but not so much that she didn't remember the events of the night before. Natsu, who had a dragon's alcohol tolerance, took Erza home out of concern for her well-being. She had protested at first, but as soon as his strong arms took hold of her, she began to make plans to take him the second he brought her home.

It was cute the way Natsu had resisted at first, not wanting to take advantage of his drunken lover. But after forcing her crotch into his, Natsu's willpower had gone out the window, and his dragon instincts took over, asserting their dominance over the normally proud Titania. And as one of the most feared mages in the country, Erza reveled in a lover that could dominate her. The mere memory sent chills up her spine and made her wonder why she had ever denied herself such maddening pleasure.

Except now, on the morning after, that idiot, that complete and utter MORON wasn't here with her, and now she looked like a damn fool! Her mind made up, she Requipped into her normal clothes and stormed off to give that stupid Dragon Slayer a piece of her mind.

If only she had noticed the piece of paper on her desk.

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><p>Erza stormed through the guild doors with all the fury of a hurricane. Anyone could tell that she was pissed off, and staying out of her way was the only option for survival.<p>

Scanning the guild hall for any sign of pink hair, she found none, which only irritated her more. She walked up to the bar, where Mira was in her usual place, talking with her siblings, and slammed her palm down to get the barmaid's attention.

"Good morning, Erza! You're looking well this morning!" said Mira pleasantly.

"Skip the pleasantries, Mira," said Erza. "Have you seen Natsu at all this morning?"

Mira frowned. "No, I haven't," she said. "In fact, I half expected you guys to show up together."

Lisanna turned her head to face her sister. "Why would Natsu and Erza come together?" she asked. Suddenly, a spark of realization flashed through her mind. "Unless they "came" together!" she exclaimed.

"Ooooh!" a feline voice yelled. "Natsu and Erza did it, didn't they?" Happy appeared from behind the bar and started dancing on the countertop in joy.

Erza blushed. "What the hell is it to you?" she yelled.

"Nothing," Mira answered for the blue Exceed. "But weren't you waiting until you two got married?"

"Alcohol gives me ideas. Bad ideas," said Erza stiffly.

"Oh, you have to give us details later!" said Lisanna excitedly.

"Fine," said Erza, not really paying attention to what the youngest Take Over mage was saying. "If you see him, let me know so I may teach him a lesson about leaving his lover in the middle of the night."

The sisters gasped, scandalized. "He left?" asked Mira.

"Natsu wouldn't do that!" said Lisanna.

"That unmanly bastard!" bellowed Elfman. "Real men always spend the night!"

"Elfman, people are staring," scolded Mira.

"Maybe he just went home to change clothes," said Lisanna.

"I haven't seen Natsu since last night," said Happy.

Erza growled. "So if you haven't seen him at all, Happy, then where is he?" asked Erza dangerously.

Happy flinched. "H-h-h-he's probably hiding because he kn-kn-knows you're going to kill him!" he stuttered.

"Oh, I won't kill him, Happy," said Erza, grinning like a madwoman. "I'll just…"

"WE DON'T WANNA KNOW!" everyone screamed.

Erza pouted. "Why must you all ruin my fun?" she said.

At that point, Cana came to the bar. "The usual, Mira," she said with no pretense. "So what's going on?"

"Natsu walked out on Erza," said Elfman. "So unmanly."

"Seriously?" said Cana with a sigh. "That idiot didn't mention that!" No sooner than Cana said that had Erza descended upon her.

"Where is he?" she growled lowly.

"Probably back at Lucy's helping her with her hangover," said Cana. She sighed sadly. "Poor girl doesn't have to get piss drunk to impress me… I love her just the way she is."

Suddenly, a memory surfaced in Erza's mind. In it, Lucy was walking around the guild, drunker than she'd ever been, flashing anyone who would care to look, which was to say, most of the male members of the guild. Eventually, she leaned over the bar and vomited damn near everything she drank that night, but the damage was done. It was then that a horrified Cana had trapped her in a card and left the guild without a word.

"That's why he left," whispered Erza. She dashed off without saying anything more.

* * *

><p>Lucy felt like crap. No, crap was putting it mildly. God, what had compelled her to have so much to drink last night? What was she trying to prove?<p>

She had learned a valuable lesson this morning. Just because her girlfriend was a drinker doesn't mean she had to be. Cana had made that perfectly clear as soon as she woke up.

Natsu, ever the worrywart when it comes to his friends, dropped by to see how she was feeling, and was putting on a cup of coffee for her right now. Who knew a hangover could leave you sleepy? Well, she sure has hell did now.

A knock on her door snapped the Celestial mage out of her musings (and brought back the headache from earlier with the force of an elephant stampede). "Natsu, get the door!" she yelled.

"I can't! The coffee'll burn!" the Dragon Slayer replied.

"It's coffee! It doesn't burn!" groaned Lucy. "Besides, it'll only take five seconds, so get your ass out there!"

"All right, all right!" Natsu grumbled. He opened the door… only to reveal Erza, who had flung herself into his arms.

"Oh, Natsu, you big sweetheart!" said Erza.

Natsu grinned. "I am sweet, aren't I?" he said.

"That's why you're my Honey Dragon!" the scarlet-haired woman cooed.

"You know I am, Baby Red," replied Natsu. The couple then shared a passionate kiss.

Meanwhile, Lucy had summoned the strength to walk to the living room. When she saw Natsu and Erza start to kiss, she sighed. "I guess I'll get the coffee, then," she said to no one in particular and trudged off to the kitchen, grumbling all the way about no one taking care of the hung over people.

* * *

><p><strong>I honestly would've liked this to turn out... better, but it just seems to fit.<strong>

**And now that we're halfway through the alphabet, I would like to announce that this story is ON HIATUS FOR TWO MONTHS! But that's not to say I'm not writing for two months. No, I'd like to use this time to explore avenues I can't really explore within the confines of an alphabet challenge that only has room for one-word prompts. They won't necessarily be all NatsuxErza, so you can expect stories about... pretty much any other couple in Fairy Tail, provided it somehow makes sense to me. I may also delve back into Bleach and/or Pokemon, but really, I'm not about to make any promises. I am working on a LucyXJellal oneshot (blasphemy? Not to a NatsuxErza fan!), since I kind of got into that couple lately and there's literally no stories in which they're paired up, which is justifiable, since they haven't interacted once during the entire series. Of course, my compulsion to remain as canon compliant as possible probably won't allow me to finish it, since Ultear and Meredy are just going to disappear and live out their lives as a lesbian couple (I'm only half-kidding about the latter). Hey, I might just write something about those two! Who knows?**

**Well, I've got a lot planned, so I'm just gonna shut up now. Until November, this is Nightlingbolt, signing out from this story, and I will see you all... wherever.**


	14. N is for Nicknames

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's letter is N for Nicknames! Well, technically, they're pet names, but you get the idea!**

**So, does anyone remember the nicknames Natsu and Erza had for each other way way waaaaaaay back in Date? Well, this is pretty much their origin story. In layman's terms, FLUFF OVERLOAD ALERT!**

**Enjoy~y!**

* * *

><p>The couple that everyone in Fairy Tail had been rooting for in one way or another had finally gotten together. Yes, friends, Bisca and Alazack were now official.<p>

The guild celebrated with the standard loud noise and copious amounts of alcohol they were well-known for. But that was three weeks ago, and everyone seemed to move on with their lives, having long ago accepted this inevitability.

Currently, Natsu Dragneel and Erza Scarlet just happened to be dining together, the Salamander on a plate of chicken, and the Titania on a slice of her favorite strawberry cake. Neither was oblivious to the fact that Bisca and Alzack were being lovey-dovey towards each other, and one had had enough.

Natsu slammed down the remainder of his chicken, screamed "The hell with this!" and stormed out of the guild, Erza finished the last bite of her cake and followed, ready to make sure he didn't destroy anything in his venting. At least, that's what she would say to anyone who questioned why she and her boyfriend were together.

You read that right, Natsu and Erza are a couple too. They downplayed their relationship, even though the guild at large knew, allowing the occasional tender moment to bleed into their otherwise unchanged dynamic.

"I'm sick and tired of all this mushy bullshit going on with Bisca and Alzack!" declared Natsu once they were away from the guild. "I mean, I feel like I'm on a vehicle when I'm sitting on a barstool!"

"It's not that bad, Natsu," argued Erza. "In fact, I think it's kind of cute."

"Cute," repeated Natsu. "I think your Happy impersonation is cute and I don't make you do it in front of the guild!"

"Okay, Natsu, first of all, that wasn't a Happy impersonation. I was seducing you," said Erza. "Second of all, what do you suggest we do about it? Because I for one am not about to tell Alzack to stop calling Bisca 'Biscuit,' nor am I about to tell Bisca to stop calling Alzack 'Zack-Zack. I do find it grating for long periods, but it's none of our business. That's just how it is."

Natsu seemed to be in deep thought, which made Erza a little nervous. Sure, Natsu was... simple... but if he really thought something through... well, Natsu did his best thinking in battle, and as far as he was concerned, he was at war with Bisca and Alzack.

Two words: Not. Pretty.

"I got it!" bellowed the Dragon Slayer, apparently loudly enough to cause Erza to flinch. "We fight fire with fire!"

"I don't follow," said Erza.

"It's simple! Bisca and Alzack call each other mushy nicknames, right?" said Natsu. "So, what if we called each other mushier names than they did? I mean, I'm talking teeth-falling-out-of-your-mouth-because-they're-so-damn-mushy nicknames!"

Erza gaped at her boyfriend. "I... you..." Eventually, she sighed in defeat. "You are truly adamant about this, aren't you?" she said.

"Aye, sir!" said Natsu cheerfully, causing Erza to shake her head.

"_On the other hand, though, maybe this could be a stepping stone in our relationship, ultimately teaching us to open up to each other on a more intimate level,"_ reasoned Erza. "What did you have in mind?"

The Dragon Slayer gave an evil grin and whispered his plans in her ear.

* * *

><p>Later, Natsu and Erza had returned to the guild after discussing their plan of attack. Bisca and Alzack were seated at a table right near where Team Natsu usually sat. Gray was busy drinking with Cana while Juvia bore holes into the card mage's skull with her eyes and Lucy made sure Cana didn't drink too much, meaning the couple was all alone.<p>

Eventually, Alzack started whispering sweet nothings in Bisca's ear, punctuating his words by calling her "Biscuit," to which the green-haired sniper responded with coos of "Zack-Zack." It was almost enough to drive Natsu insane, though Erza thought he already was with this plan of his. To his credit, though, it was rather grating now that she took the time to actually listen.

"There they go again," whispered Natsu. "You ready?"

"I don't see why I have to start," whispered Erza. "This was your idea!"

"Well, I ain't starting! Yours sounds weird!"

"Mine sounds weird? You were the one who came up with it!"

"Weird as in mine's a more natural lead-in!"

"Well, I can't read your mind! I'm not Warren, you know!"

"Just say it, dammit!"

Erza sighed. There's just no arguing with a Dragon Slayer, it seems. Clearing her throat, she initiated the conversation. "Honey Dragon?" she said sweetly.

Natsu grinned. So far, so good. "Yes, Baby Red?" he replied in kind.

"Nothing," said Erza. "I was just thinking about how much I love you."

"Really?" said Natsu with feigned interest. "I bet I love you more."

"No, silly! I love you more."

"I love you more."

"No, I love you more."

"I love you more!" Natsu was raising his voice, and Erza had to suppress the urge to facepalm.

"Stop treating this like a competition!" she whispered harshly. "Remember the plan!" Natsu flinched, but he soldiered on as planned, catching a glimpse of an indignant Alzack.

"Tell me, Baby Red," said Natsu, moving in next to Erza. "Do you like when I hug you?" He reached over and hugged the Titania.

Erza was taken aback by her boyfriend's boldness, but she didn't get to be the most feared woman in the country by being slow. "Mm-hmm," she murmured.

"Yeah? How 'bout when I squeeze you?" He squeezed Erza's hips. She gave a slight giggle, but managed to give another "Mm-hmmm..."

"Yeah? How 'bout when I kiss your forehead?" The Dragon Slayer did just that.

"Ooooh, Honey Dragon..." giggled Erza.

Natsu smirked. "You _do_ like that, huh? How about on you nose?" Kiss. "Your ears?" Kiss. Kiss. "Your cheeks?" Kiss kiss. "Your lips?" With that, he captured Erza's lips with his own in a soft, tender kiss, lasting far longer than any of the others.

At that point, the guild's other couple had had enough. "Get a room!" shouted Alzack, storming out of the guild hall with Bisca on his heels.

Natsu pulled away from Erza. "Now you know how the rest of us feel, you jerk!" he yelled. If Alzack had acknowldeged Natsu's comment he sure didn't show signs of it.

Natsu resumed his earlier seat across from Erza. "Heheh, we really showed them, didn't we, Erza?" Erza didn't reply right away, a faint blush still on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked, picking up on his girlfriend's worry.

"You stupid BRATS!" an elderly voice yelled. Before they could react, Natsu and Erza's heads were quickly grasped by a hand each and slammed onto the table.

"Owwwww!" whined Natsu. "What the hell was that for?"

Erza looked up to see who assailed her, only to find Makarov had hopped onto their table, looking none too pleased with her or Natsu. "Master!" she exclaimed.

"Don't give me 'Master!'" the tiny old man shouted. "I can't decide what was more disturbing! That little display you two put on, or the fact that you did it all out of spite!"

"Have you spent five minutes around those guys lately?" asked Natsu indignantly. "It's 'Biscuit' this, 'Zack-Zack' that, and more kisses than a chocolate factory!"

"Well, you're no...!" Makarov stopped mid sentence, took a calming breath, and continued speaking. "You two were no better than them," he said.

"But-!"

"But nothing!" said Makarov sharply. "How Bisca and Alzack express their affection is their own business. Not mine, and definitely not yours!

"Furthermore, the two of you have your own ways of expressing your feelings. I'll be brutally honest – both of you have the subtlety of a ton of bricks. But there are times when you say everything you need to say in little gestures that only you two understand. Without words, your every action conveys feelings of trust, comfort, and especially love. That's why the fact you two are together is so comforting to me."

Natsu had had a smart remark ready before the Wizard Saint's words sank in. Now, all that remained was guilt. "Man, now I feel like a jerk!" he complained.

Erza didn't seem like she was going to say anything. However, she rose from her seat and grabbed Natsu's scarf. "Come on," she ordered. "We are apologizing to Alzack and Bisca immediately!" Without giving Natsu a chance to protest, she grabbed him by the scarf and dragged him off in the direction she thought she saw the two gun mages walking.

* * *

><p>Their transgressions forgiven, Natsu and Erza were taking a long walk to clear their heads. Night had long since fallen, but Erza felt safe in the Dragon Slayer's presence. Was this one of those subtleties she and Natsu had that the Master had talked about?<p>

"Well, I guess I'm not doing that again," said Natsu.

"What, pretend to be something you're not just to spite someone?" asked Erza.

"That too," said Natsu. "But I meant calling you embarrassing nicknames. I mean, Gramps was right, wasn't he? We don't need any of that mushy crap to show how we feel. It's enough for me just knowing that we're always there when we need each other."

"I guess," said Erza. "But..." She started to blush.

"But what?"

"I... really liked it when you called me 'Baby Red' and... kissed me all over," Erza admitted sheepishly. "It made me feel so... lovely and beautiful and wanted and... Listen to me, gushing like a giddy schoolgirl!"

"Or Juvia when Gray talks to her," said Natsu snidely.

"That too, I suppose," said Erza with a laugh.

"Well, I'm still not sure we need mushy pet names, but..." Natsu gave his signature grin. "If it works for you, then I don't mind being your Honey Dragon!"

"Only if I get to be your Baby Red," said Erza sweetly.

"Well, duh," said Natsu. With that simple statement, he pulled Erza in for a kiss.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Makarov was watching them with a smile. Obviously, they'd learned a little something about themselves tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

**Okay, guys, I'm not gonna lie. There were times when I thought I couldn't bring myself to write the lovey-dovey scene, so it might feel a little forced. Also, for those saying Natsu didn't back down quickly enough (because inevitably, someone will say it), we all know Natsu doesn't back down from his goals that easily.**

**I've been playing through Pokemon Black again, and it occurred to me that in some ways, Natsu would make a perfect N. A naive view of the world but wise when it counts, and steadfast in his goals and beliefs, not to mention his nakama power with Pokemon. I dunno, would any Pokemon/Fairy Tail fans be interested in seeing me recreate the final battle at N's Castle with Natsu as N and Erza as Hilda? Just a thought.**

**I'm currently mulling around ideas for a BixlowxLisanna story (since apparently, that's what my fans want more than anything else), but I would actually enjoy collaborating with someone who can write Lisanna pretty well. I think I've got a general idea of Bixlow's character, but poor Lisanna got little to no focus after coming back from Edolas. Eh, whatever, I'll shut up with my ramblings. Still, any good Lisanna writers out there, lemme know if you want to work something out.**

**So I guess that's it until next time, so peace and love from Nightlingbolt. Bye-bye, and have a wonderful day.**


	15. O is for Over

**Hello, people, Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to The ABCs of Natsu and Erza! Today's letter is O as in "Over," which can only mean one thing: a breakup! Le Gasp!**

**Not gonna lie, it pained me to write this. In fact, I think this is the saddest thing I've ever written. But it has a happy ending, so it should be all right. Anyway, on with the show!**

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

><p>Natsu hadn't seen Erza all day.<p>

Whenever he couldn't find the scarlet-haired mage, it was usually because she was away on a solo mission or accompanying Gramps wherever it was he went. But to the Dragon Slayer's knowledge, Erza had taken her usual two-week leave from guild work, so he could obviously rule those possibilities out.

The funny thing was, even when she was on vacation, Erza was usually one of the first people at the guild each morning, and every year on this day, she would disappear for twenty-four hours. This never used to bother Natsu before, but now that Erza was his girlfriend, and even before then, since the Tower of Heaven, he felt a strong desire to get to the bottom of this mystery.

If it was anything like the seventh of July for him, then he fully understood her need to be alone. But that didn't mean he wanted her to be alone if all she was doing was suffering. He picked up Erza's scent and followed it to the river.

That was where he found Erza, who wore a sad, almost despondent look, totally out of character for the normally fearsome Titania. Natsu decided he would have none of that. "Erza!" he yelled, worry lacing his voice.

Erza looked up at the sound of Natsu's voice. "Natsu," she sighed. "I always knew you'd look for me one of these years."

"This is the first time I've really looked," replied Natsu. "Now tell me what's wrong."

"It's... it's nothing," said Erza dismissively.

"It can't be nothing if it's got you this upset," said Natsu.

"I'm not upset!" said Erza defensively.

"If there's another word for it, I don't know it," said Natsu. "But Erza, I love you, and I want you to trust me enough to be your shield when you can't use a sword. I won't betray you, I promise!"

Despite the significance this day held for her, Erza smiled. She always did love when Natsu spoke in that passionate voice of his. "It's... Jellal's birthday today," she said.

Natsu frowned. "You're still moping around about Jellal?" he asked in annoyance. "Geez, when are you gonna get over that guy already?"

Suddenly, Erza stood up. She was eerily calm. "I should get over Jellal. Is that what you think?" she asked. "I should just move on with my life and never spare the boy who, in childhood, was my entire world a second thought? Is THAT what you're saying to me, Natsu Dragneel?"

Natsu was nervous now. "Well... yeah, but-"

"But nothing!" yelled Erza. "I can't do that! I can't just forget the man who help mold me into the person I am today, through good times and bad! It just doesn't work like that, Natsu! Forgetting Jellal is the same as forgetting everything I am now, ever was, and ever will be!"

Erza voice started to crack. "I thought you were different, Natsu. I thought you understood how big a part of my life Jellal is. I see now that I was wrong. It's time I stopped fooling myself."

Natsu was stunned. Surely, she didn't mean... that! "Erza, I-"

"Natsu... it's over." With those three words, Erza ran away from the Dragon Slayer as fast as her legs would carry her.

"Erza? ERZA!" Natsu screamed in a panicked tone. No reply.

The Salamander of Fairy Tail fell to his knees and let out a long, mournful roar.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Natsu was drinking his sorrows away as a sorrowful Mirajane looked on, not daring to say a thing.<p>

He knocked back a shot of the guild's hardest firewhiskey, slammed the empty glass on the counter, and demanded another round. However, as Mirajane served him the alcohol, a strong hand took it from him and slammed it, shot glass and all, on the counter without care for the broken pieces.

"Let's go, Natsu," said Laxus's gruff voice. "I need your help on a mission."

"Not interested," grumbled Natsu.

"It's an S-Class mission," said Laxus. That much was true, but he only said it in hopes of enticing the Fire Dragon.

"Forget it, Laxus," said Natsu irritably.

Laxus frowned. Natsu usually wasn't this difficult. "Look, the job specifically asked for a Fire mage, and I ain't taking Macao, so you're the only option," he said, losing his patience.

"Like I give a shit," growled Natsu.

That tore it for Laxus. He picked Natsu up by the scarf and brought his face to his. "I'm not giving you a choice anymore, Natsu, so just suck it up and let's go!" he said, practically snarling.

"I SAID FUCK OFF!" Natsu roared, attracting the attention of the whole guild. A furious Laxus then proceeded to slam Natsu's entire body on the floor.

"The fuck is your problem, Natsu? You're lucky I'm not deaf 'cause of that, you little bastard!"

"LAXUS!" Mirajane bellowed, getting the Lightning Dragon Slayer's attention. In a much softer tone, she said, "Erza broke up with him today."

Laxus was shocked, which was saying something considering his magic. "Shit, Natsu, you should've said something sooner!" he said.

"Aye," said Natsu. "All because I told her to get over Jellal."

"Well, no wonder she dumped you, retard! You don't badmouth Jellal in front of Erza! I mean, that's like, an unofficial guild rule!"

"I wasn't trying to badmouth him!" said Natsu defensively. "I just told Erza to get over him, and she went nuts on me!"

"Well, why did you say what you said, Natsu?" asked Mirajane kindly.

"Because..." Natsu was hesitant to answer. "I just don't like this power Jellal has over her! Thinking about him gets her all depressed and shit... I just wanna ask her how Jellal'd react to seeing Erza torture herself like that all because of him! He'd hate himself even more than he does now, all because he's making Erza cry without even realizing it!

"I just want her to... live her life, keep being that same strong, smart, scary, beautiful Erza that I love so much... that I can't imagine life without... that I don't WANT to imagine life without! 'Cause that's what I want for her! And I know that's what Jellal wants for her, too!"

Suddenly, Natsu did the most unNatsu-like thing he could ever do, and broke down sobbing right there at the bar. Laxus was at a loss for what to do, not having seen Natsu cry like this since Lisanna died. Mirajane, on the other hand, was poised for action.

"Laxus, man the bar!" she ordered. "I need to talk to Erza!"

* * *

><p>"He said all those things?" gasped Erza. Mirajane nodded, having relayed Natsu's words to her.<p>

A million thoughts a minute were swirling in Erza's head. "I should have known he wouldn't try to hurt me..." she whispered. With a newfound determination, Erza made haste for the guild to make things right with her Salamander.

* * *

><p>"Natsu!" yelled Erza.<p>

"Erza?" said Natsu, looking up from the bar. The smile on Erza's face was enough to brighten his spirits. "Erza!"

They rushed to greet each other, both tuning out the rest of the guild. "Oh, Natsu, I'm so sorry!" said Erza as the Salamander took her into his arms.

"I'm sorry too, Erza! I never should've said that crap about Jellal!" said Natsu.

"No, you're right!" said Erza. "I can't let Jellal control my happiness forever! Without you, I HAVE no happiness!"

"Erza," said Natsu. "I do understand! We'll honor Jellal's memory together... forever!"

"Stupid dragon!" said Erza. Natsu's only reply was a soft, loving kiss.

"Yeah yeah, all is right with the world, now let's go, Natsu," said Laxus. "You're still coming on that mission."

"Screw that!" exclaimed Natsu, scooping Erza up into his arms. "I'm taking my girl home and I won't be back for the rest of the day!" As Natsu walked out of the guild, the cheers of the guild gave him a courage he'd never known before.

Just hours ago, their relationship was over. Now, however, it was beginning anew, stronger than it had ever been before.

* * *

><p><strong>Errrgh, short, sweet, and totally OOC. But in a way, it's nice to see that those two can evoke such a reaction in each other.<strong>

**I find I have less and less to say with each new chapter. Well, I do have something to say about ITAG, but I'd rather not bore you with it here, so go to my profile if you want to stay informed.**

**Anyway, that's all I got for now. I'm still working out how to write the latter half of Lucy and Jellal's date in Lucky Star, so that could be a while. But until I do figure it out, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


	16. P is for Photographs

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to Letter P of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza," as in "Photographs!"**

**I know, I know, it's an odd obsession for Natsu to have, but if you've ever read that omake where Lucy sneaks into Natsu's house, she notices all these souvenirs of her missions with Natsu, and I figured pictures would be right up that alley. Meh, it's probably not as awesome as what I was originally thinking, but I'll leave that for you guys to judge, along with my sincerest apologies that this had nothing to do with a pregnant Erza. This is what my muse gave me, and by God, I'm rolling with it!**

**Also, I am a herp-a-derp! I accidentally posted the wrong document! Thanks to Rockmanbeasto for noticing. As a reward, I'm letting him request a Fairy Tail prompt.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

><p>Natsu loved photographs. He loved taking them, and he loved being in them. Every image spoke volumes to him. They spoke of times gone by, of cherished memories of his beloved guild and the nakama that were part of it.<p>

Natsu was quite imaginative when it came to photographs. He liked to pretend that he was back in the exact moment a picture was taken, to imagine what he would say and do to the Lucies and Grays and Erzas of the past. Even though such pastimes were fun, at the end of the day, he wouldn't trade the memories he had of his family for anything.

Natsu's love of photographs was well-known throughout the guild. Occasionally, he would bring a camera to the guild and try to capture a drinking contest, a performance by Mirajane, or just a usual guild brawl. In turn, anyone who had a picture of the Salamander would gladly offer him a copy. They ran the gamut, from annoying Lucy, to fighting with Gray, to being scared shitless by Erza...

Erza. The pictures of Erza were always his favorite.

He thumbed through his photo album, looking for pictures of the Titania. He smiled and stopped at one of her eating strawberry cake.

This was the first time she had tried what was now her favorite dessert. Natsu had tried a piece of strawberry cake that Levy had baked based on a recipe in a cookbook. He remembered being excited, as he always was when trying new things, and demanding that everyone try a piece. First Gray, then Cana, then Elfman, Macao, Wakaba, Gildartz, even Laxus and Mystogan, though Jellal's Edolas counterpart had cast his Sleep magic on everyone, for now obvious reasons, before eating it, with only Makarov awake to serve as a witness.

Eventually, Erza had tried the cake. She was apprehensive at first, but once she tried it, she had proudly declared that strawberry cake was a dish fit for a goddess. Unfortunately for those guild members who had yet to try it, she had devoured the remaining cakes in under a minute.

Later that night, Erza had thrown up from eating too many cakes. Natsu smiled at this part for three reasons. The first was that he had reprimanded her for her gluttony, which was really the first time he got to tell her off. The second was that, when she had finally thrown up the last of the cake, she had decided that strawberry cake was worth feeling the way she had. That was the kind of resolve he had come to expect from a member of Fairy Tail, and the kind of resolve he would model his own path as a mage after.

The third reason was that she had trusted him to see her at what he thought was her worst. However, when he had learned of Jellal's existence and seen what he did to Erza, whether he was aware of it or not, that illusion had been utterly shattered. That was another reason Natsu loved photographs; they allowed you to hold on to naïve notions, even when you knew better than to believe them.

He turned to a page containing a photo of Mystogan without his mask. It was taken with his consent after the Oracion Seis battle, and Erza had the only other copy. The idea was to give Erza a record of Jellal's face, as he and Mystogan happened to look exactly the same. Erza had said that though her eyes knew it was only Mystogan, her heart would gladly pretend otherwise. Natsu didn't like the idea, but if it brought Erza peace, so be it.

Thinking of Jellal always soured Natsu's mood, so he flipped a few pages without even looking at them, hoping to land on something – anything – that would make him smile.

Imagine his surprise when he landed on a picture from the guild Christmas party several years back. He and Erza were kissing underneath the mistletoe thanks to a prank Mirajane had pulled. The Demon had promised Erza a whole strawberry cake if she would hold the kiss for an entire minute. The minute had passed, Erza licking her tongue against Natsu's lips out of boredom. Out of reflex, he had opened up to grant her easier access. Ultimately, both parties had ignored Mirajane calling the time until they needed to breathe again.

It was Natsu's first kiss, much to Lisanna's annoyance, and he imagined it was Erza's as well. They were young, they were stupid, and Erza only seemed to be in it for the cake, so neither had thought about it for a long while.

That is, until Erza brought it up coming home from the Oracion Seis battle. It seemed losing Jellal again had forced her to take stock of her life and reevaluate what she held dear. Natsu didn't remember the whole conversation, but she had mentioned that she couldn't possibly conceive of him hurting her. Natsu had reaffirmed his promise to protect her, and they had started a secret relationship. Natsu hadn't seen why they needed to hide their feelings; Erza argued she wanted to be sure this was right for her.

Two years later, it must've been, because they had long since gone public. The guild was largely supportive, even Lisanna, who as it turned out had hooked up with Bixlow two days before the announcement. Gray, however, had nearly punched him in the face. Natsu could deal with that because A: he knew Erza was just as dear to the Ice mage as she was to himself, and B: if Gray struck first, Erza couldn't fault him for anything.

However, Gray merely recounted that Erza hardly ever smiled before Natsu came to Fairy Tail and stalked off to mope. Of course, these days Juvia didn't give him much to mope about.

Suddenly, Natsu heard the door open. Only the guild members knew where he lived, so he hardly ever locked his door while he was home. He looked up and was greeted by a scarlet-framed face smiling warmly at him.

"Hey, you," said Erza, walking into the Dragon Slayer's living room and sitting down on the couch.

"How was the mission?" asked Natsu. Erza had taken a solo mission somewhere between a week and ten days ago – he didn't really know, it was still too long to wait.

Erza stole a kiss before replying. "Annoying," she replied. "The client was obnoxious, the bandits were much stronger than I anticipated, and I have this nasty wound on my abdomen – it's mostly healed though!" she said, hastily adding on the last part after seeing the look of worry on Natsu's face.

"That sucks!" Natsu complained. "I was planning on giving you a warm welcome, but now I gotta wait until you're better!"

"You're here. I'm here. What's stopping you?" asked Erza, bemused by the Dragon Slayer's logic.

Natsu blushed. "Well... when I said 'warm welcome,' I meant... well, you know..."

Realization dawned on the Titania's face. "Oh!" she exclaimed, blushing profusely. "Please forgive my naivety!"

Natsu laughed nervously. Yes, the couple had engaged in sexual activity before, but they were both determined to not let it define their relationship. The fact that sex was still somewhat of a taboo subject in their daily conversation unless both of them were in just the right mood spoke volumes about the love they held for each other.

Erza looked at the photo album and smiled. "Oh, is that the mistletoe picture?" she said. "I love this picture!"

"I know," agreed Natsu. "It really makes me think how far we've come together."

"Well, we were young and stupid back then," mused Erza. "That was when strawberry cake was the most important thing in the world to me."

"Hey, we're _still_ young and stupid!" argued Natsu. "Don't talk like you're Gramp's age, Erza!"

Erza giggled. "Okay, fine. We were younger and stupider then than we are now," she said.

"Stupider isn't a word, idiot," said Natsu.

"Um, yes it is, Natsu," said Erza. "Stupid, stupider, stupidest."

"Are you sure?" asked Natsu.

"Are you trying to annoy me, Natsu?" said Erza fiercely. That shut the Salamander up rather quickly.

"Hey, uh, I think Mira's setting up the mistletoe today," said Natsu. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Indeed I am," said Erza slyly.

"Awesome!" said Natsu. "Now we just need to find someone that breeds fruit flies!"

Erza hit her boyfriend over the head. Rubbing his skull, he said, "Making out works too." With that, the knight whisked her dragon out of the house and towards the guild.

Natsu loved photographs. They held the history of the world, his life, and his guild. And it seemed today, history was going to repeat itself.

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><p><strong>Dear God, why must I continuously write fluff? I remember my early days of writing when all I wrote was humor! What happened? Do you realize I added that part about the fruit flies upon this realization? Oh well, I guess it just goes to show that I've matured as a person. I could possibly make a relationship work, but with no job and no license, I'm not really confident I could keep a girl interested. At least not an attractive one. Le sigh!<strong>

**If I can actually get motivated enough to write it, I've got a NaLu oneshot in mind. Probably not the best thing to announce to my rabid NatZa fans, but if I have an idea, I'll write it, damn you all. Except not really, you guys are awesome. It would be part of that Lucy romance collection, so... yeah.**

**Anyway, I gotta get this posted, so until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt! Bye bye!**


	17. Q is for Question

**Hello, people, and welcome back to more "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" My name is Nightlingbolt, and if you didn't know that, why are you here? Today's letter is Q for Question!**

**This is it, guys. Natsu proposes to Erza in this one. Read on, and judge for yourself if I did it justice.**

**I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

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><p>Natsu was freaking out.<p>

Yes, Natsu barely ever freaks out over anything, preferring to meet his challenges head-on, but this was bigger than anything else he had ever done or would ever do. In fact, it rivaled meeting Igneel for the first time in over a decade.

He looked at the box in his hand, his mind in a frenzy deciding whether this was the right thing to do. After all, what he was planning on doing with this box would change his whole life, permanently and irrevocably. And he didn't know if he was ready for that.

Suddenly, a large green bird flew overhead. Natsu hurriedly stuffed the box in his pocket. Only one other person came to this spot, and he only knew of one green bird.

Lisanna had found him.

The bird touched down and took the form of a white-haired young woman. "Hi, Natsu!" she said brightly.

"Oh, uh... hi, Lisanna!" said Natsu, trying to keep his composure. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

Lisanna was not fooled. "We both know you only come out here when you're freaking out about something," she said matter-of-factly. "Now what's on your mind?"

"Nothing!" said Natsu quickly. "Nothing's on my mind!"

"_If only he could hear himself,"_ thought Lisanna with a smirk. "So what's in the box?" asked Lisanna.

Natsu flinched. Had she seen it? "What box?" he asked through his teeth.

"The one in your pocket," said Lisanna.

"I don't have any boxes in my pocket!" said Natsu.

But Lisanna would not be deterred. She transformed one of her arms into a gorilla's and lifted him up, reaching into Natsu's pocket, blatantly ignoring the Dragon Slayer's protests. But when she felt the box for herself, she pulled it out with a gasp and unceremoniously dropped Natsu.

"Natsu, is this...?" whispered Lisanna. She opened it to find a silver band topped with a glistening ruby. Lisanna had no illusions as to who this ring was for.

Natsu got to his feet with a sigh. "Fine," he grumbled. "I'm going to ask Erza to marry me. Happy?"

"Aye, sir!" a feline voice chirped. Sure enough, Happy, Natsu's blue Exceed partner, appeared out of nowhere.

"Where the hell did you come from!" exclaimed Natsu.

"I came with Lisanna," said Happy. "You were probably too busy freaking out to notice me."

Natsu growled. He loved that cat, but damned if he wasn't the biggest pest on the face of Earthland at times (Jewel for every time Lucy told him that...).

"Natsu loooves Errrrzaaaaa!" Happy sang. "Natsu wants to marrrrry Erza!"

"Yeah, well... you wanna marry Carla!" yelled Natsu.

"Oh, I totally do," said Happy wistfully.

"Say, Happy," said Lisanna. "I think you should go back to the guild. I want to talk to Natsu about something."

"But what do I tell everyone?" asked Happy. "Especially Erza?" he added mischievously.

"Tell them Natsu's fine. _Just fine,_" said Lisanna, a feral growl lacing the second sentence. Happy nodded and flew off, not eager to incur the Animal mage's wrath.

This left the two mages alone. Lisanna spoke first. "You know, I'm kind of jealous. Erza gets a ring and I don't. Aren't I your first wife, Natsu?" she pouted.

"Lisanna!" Natsu yelled. Lisanna giggled. He never was comfortable with that joke.

"In all seriousness, when were you going to ask her?" asked Lisanna sternly.

"Well, I... I just bought the ring today," said Natsu nervously.

"I don't know, Natsu," said Lisanna seriously. "That ruby seems to have lost a little shine."

Natsu sighed. There was no getting past Lisanna. "I bought it three weeks ago," he admitted shamefully.

"And you still haven't asked her WHY?" yelled Lisanna.

Natsu was scared. Without question, Lisanna was one of the scariest people he had ever known. "I-"

"This is exactly why I gave up on you, Natsu!" yelled Lisanna. "You couldn't commit yourself to a relationship when we were kids, and despite my own feelings on the matter, I could respect that! But here you are with everything you need to ask the woman you've loved for five years to marry you, and you're not doing a damn thing about it! Why, Natsu? What is it that's stopping you from asking that one simple question? What's so hard about asking, 'Erza, will you marry me?'"

Natsu was silent. He opened his mouth, but words would not form. Finally, two words slipped out.

"I'm scared."

Whatever Lisanna was expecting, it was not that. "You're scared," she repeated. "Scared of what?"

"Of losing her," said Natsu. "Lisanna, when I thought you died, I thought I couldn't go on! My life had lost meaning, I was just going through the motions... and you were just my best friend! But this is Erza, the woman I love! What if she gets killed on a mission like you did? What if one day, she wakes up and realizes I was just something to ease her pain with? What if I end up being a security blanket she decides she outgrew? What then, Lisanna? WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO THEN!"

"Well... letting go of me would be a good start," Lisanna moaned. For Natsu was, in fact, gripping Lisanna's shoulders so tightly his fingernails were digging into them. The Dragon Slayer offered a hasty apology and relaxed his grip.

"I don't have any easy answers, Natsu," said Lisanna. "But I know this much: You guys've been dating for five years now. If Erza was going to leave you, she would've done it by now. Still, you've both been hurt before, you by Igneel, and Erza by Jellal. You're protective, and so is she. And that's why you two are destined for each other: each of you knows that the other will never leave. Erza trusts in you. So why can't you find it in you to trust in Erza?"

Natsu tried to find an answer, but everything he could think of sounded like a copout, so he didn't bother saying anything. Lisanna truly was impossible to win an argument against.

"Leave me alone for a while," he said. "I need to work out what I'm going to say."

Lisanna smiled. "Anything you say will be beautiful," she said kindly. She assumed her bird form and flew away, leaving Natsu to his thoughts.

* * *

><p>Erza liked the twilight hours of each day. She considered the setting sun a reward for accomplishing whatever tasks she had set out to do for the day. These ranged between completing a mission, stopping Natsu and Gray from killing each other, or simply getting in a little extra training.<p>

Today, she was practicing with her Morning Star Armor. She hadn't used it in a while, and she felt she was getting rusty in its application. She looked westward at the sun disappearing over the horizon let slip a satisfied smile as she pondered how to spend her evening.

Perhaps she could see if Natsu was available for a date. It had been about a week since they've actually gotten to spend any time together. They had both gone on solo missions, and Erza had returned a day before Natsu, and when he came back, he was in a sort of panic over something. Had the mission really affected him that severely?

Yes, Erza decided. A night of romance would do them both some good.

Suddenly, a blast of fire breezed right past her. She turned around and saw, not to her surprise, Natsu, all primed up for a fight. This was good. She could put her training to good use and spend some quality time with her boyfriend all in one fell swoop.

"What were you aiming at?" taunted Erza. "If you're going to sucker-punch me, at least make sure you hit your mark. Unless you were just trying to get my attention?"

"That was the idea," said Natsu nonchalantly.

Erza smirked and held out her swords. "You're going to wish you had taken the cheap way out!" she yelled, launching two blasts of energy directly at the Dragon Slayer.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" yelled Natsu. With a flaming fist, he easily tore through Erza's attack. "And Fire Dragon's Claw!" His feet ignited, and he charged Erza, who could only parry with her swords. She then released a burst of energy that landed Natsu on his back. Seizing the opportunity, Erza pointed a sword at his chest.

"Alright, I give!" declared Natsu. Music to Erza's ears. She Requipped back to her basic attire and pulled Natsu in for a hug. No hard feelings were to be had tonight, and even though Natsu had won several times in recent years, Erza still had many more than he did.

"You know, Erza," said Natsu. "Every time I fight you, I feel myself get stronger. I mean, I feel like that after every fight, but with you... it means more. The stronger I get, the better I can protect you, you know?"

Erza laughed. "With our record, I should be the one protecting you," she said.

"Hey, I'm getting there!" protested Natsu. "Someday, I'll have more wins than you!"

"I don't doubt you will," said Erza with a smile.

"But the score doesn't matter," said Natsu. "Whether I'm weaker or stronger, I'll always be there to protect you..." He got down on one knee. "If you'll let me."

Erza was taken aback. "Wha... what is this, Natsu?" she asked.

"Erza, I love you," said Natsu seriously. "You mean so much to me. You give me the strength to defeat the greatest enemy, the courage to face my darkest fears, the kindness that inspires my heart, and the love that keeps me going. I want to protect everything that makes you precious to me. Will you let this dragon be the knight that keeps you safe from your darkest demons? Will you, Erza Scarlet..." he took out the ring box and opened it. "...Marry me?"

Erza gasped. She couldn't believe this! Natsu, her fool of a boyfriend, was saying all these wonderful things, things that made her feel like a princess? Natsu was asking her to marry him?

Meanwhile, Natsu was panicking. _"Shit, that sounded totally stupid! Now she's gonna say no! Why am I doing this?"_

"Yes!" said Erza. "Yes, of course I will!"

This took a moment to register in Natsu's mind. "Yes...?" he repeated. "You said... yes?" The Dragon Slayer was really excited now. "YOU SAID YES!" he proclaimed loudly as Erza lifted him up for a long kiss.

She pulled away and said, "Tell me something. Why are you asking me now just after a fight?"

"Heh, I dunno," said Natsu. "It just seemed perfect, asking after doing something that meant something to both of us."

"But I could have worn a dress, I could have had my hair up, we could have been on a beach..."

Natsu cocked his head. "You've been reading way too many romance books," he said.

"Just put the damn ring on my finger," grumbled Erza.

It was all Natsu could do to oblige.

* * *

><p><strong>Meh, the last few lines aren't as romantic as I'd like them, but I couldn't fit in one last "I love you" without it feeling forced. So basically, I just played to my strengths, and hopefully it paid off.<strong>

**Now, a couple things regarding Lucky Star. Chapter Eight's pretty much done, but I want to see if I can extend it into another chapter before I actually post what I already have. When those are done, like I said, I'm probably going to wait until the rest of the story is written before posting any more, just because I want this story arc to be as perfect as I can make it, although I shouldn't say perfect because there's no such thing as perfect... Gah! Shut up, Chris!**

**As for a Christmas special, Photographs is all you get. I mean, I included that mistletoe picture for a reason, after all.**

**Finally, some news regarding the character of Faye Dragneel. She's still the same as ever as far as ABCs canon is concerned, but - and I'm ashamed to admit this - I did come up with an origin story that conforms to the standards of Nalu and Gerza. All I'll say is she now has a connection to Rustyrose.**

**And that's about it. I doubt I'll get another chapter of this or LS up before Christmas, so I just want to wish you guys a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season, and I'll be back for more writing in 2012. See you all next year.**


	18. R is for Resolve

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's letter is R for Resolve! More than that, it's the long-awaited conclusion to the Cheat trilogy!**

**I honestly struggled with this, considering I hadn't written for that storyline since last summer. I honestly don't like how this turned out, but considering my time away from it, I'm happy with it. Hopefully, it shows how I've evolved as a writer since then. I dunno, read it and judge for yourself.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. I own Faye Dragneel.**

**Random thought before we begin: I like Hiro Mashima's name. It takes something bad (Hiroshima) and sticks something good in the middle (Ma). Kind of like manure in a way. Of course, this only makes sense if you watch Seinfeld. Why am I even talking about this? Just read the damn chapter!**

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><p>Natsu woke up to find that he was the only one in the bed. Not surprising, considering that Erza busied herself with the affairs of the guild as much as Makarov did, perhaps even more now that his age was starting to catch up to him. She was probably getting an early start, he reasoned.<p>

The sound of crying had just reached his ears. Faye was up, and it appeared she was hungry. Still a little groggy, he trudged to Faye's room to collect and feed his daughter. He just prayed that they still had some of those mashed peas she liked. She was kind of going through that picky phase.

When he saw Faye, Natsu perked up immediately. Faye had the unique ability to make everything in Natsu's world right and perfect, if only for a little while. It was on this train of thought that he came back recent events.

Erza's childhood friend Jellal had finally been released from prison, and she had taken him out for dinner to celebrate the occasion. Natsu would have gone with them, but he had figured he would only say something stupid or insulting, or even attack the other man. Unfortunately, Erza had had a little too much to drink... one thing led to another, and she and Jellal...

It still hurt him to think about it.

But Natsu had quickly forgiven her when she had made clear her intentions to leave him, not because she had decided Jellal was better, but because she was so wracked with guilt at her betrayal that she couldn't bear to face him. Natsu had, of course, found that unacceptable, and had convinced her to stay.

For the last week, Erza had rebuffed Natsu's advances, and only last night did she make it clear that she still felt guilt over her night with Jellal. She had offered to allow him a night with Lisanna, but he had steadfastly rebuked all offers of revenge. Not only was he unsure how Bixlow would react – he and Lisanna currently had an on-again off-again thing going on – but Natsu was resolute in not seeking revenge on Erza or Jellal. He meant what he had said about staying with Erza for better or for worse, and was fairly positive that he would never have married her if he didn't intend to stay true to those vows.

Erza, to her credit, had done her best to avoid Jellal ever since the incident. In fact, she barely even showed up at the guild at all, preferring to spend time at home with Faye.

Wait. If Erza went to the guild today... what was the last thing he said to her last night?

"Shit!" he swore, dropping the jar of peas he was feeding Faye She was off to confront Jellal!

"Happy, watch Faye for a while!" ordered Natsu. "I'm going to the guild to stop Erza!"

"Stop Erza?" Happy repeated. "What's she gonna do?"

"You just worry about Faye!" yelled Natsu, rushing out the door, dressed in nothing but a nightshirt and sweatpants, leaving Happy just enough time to say "Aye!"

Happy looked at the spilled jar of peas on the floor. "I wonder how those taste?" He stuck his paw into the goop and licked. "Eurrrgh!" he exclaimed. At this point, Faye started to cry again.

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><p>Erza stood on a rooftop by the guild building in her Heaven's Wheel Armor. She was a fierce predator, and she was on the hunt.<p>

Natsu's words had resonated deeply with her. He was totally right – she had never been one to shy away from a problem. Even confronted with the aftermath of her affair with Jellal, she had never once entertained the notion of being anything but forthright with him about it, never mind her own fear of the matter.

It was a matter of personal pride for her that she was confronting Jellal about it. She loved Natsu dearly, and she was proud to be the wife of such a strong, sensitive, understanding person like him. She had done wrong by him, and she was going to make it right in true Titania fashion.

In short, she was going to kick Jellal Fernandes's ass.

It bears repeating that Jellal was not at fault. Erza was the one who seduced him in a drunken state she knew it was a bad idea for her to be in, yet she thought she could control. Still, she reasoned, if she fought Jellal without any mercy (she wouldn't kill him, of course), she could put this whole ugly incident behind her and move on with her life.

Jellal came into Erza's view, and that was when the Titania chose to strike. She sent her swords raining down to intimidate Jellal, who, though caught off guard, managed to dodge the blades expertly. No wonder he was once hailed as one of the Ten Wizard Saints.

Erza leapt from the rooftop and landed gracefully in front of Jellal. "Jellal Fernandes!" Erza bellowed. "I have shamed myself by sinning against my husband with you! For the sake of my pride, and my own forgiveness, I challenge you to a duel!"

Jellal was still a little bit shaken, but his mind still managed to find reason in Erza's declaration. Natsu had forgiven him for lying with Erza, but it was very clear that Erza did not forgive him, or even herself, for it. And now she was challenging him so she could put her mind at ease about the matter.

"Choose your weapon!" Erza ordered. Jellal took a second look at the mess of weapons and saw that there were two of every type. He chose a longsword and showed it to Erza, who Requipped away all but its twin and summoned it to her hand.

By now, the commotion had attracted what little guild members had already arrived, but Erza didn't seem to care. "We begin on your mark!" said Erza, getting into a battle stance.

Jellal stared at Erza. Sure, he could just throw the duel, but Erza was no fool. If he did that, Erza wouldn't feel vindicated. He decided he at least owed her that much.

"MARK!" shouted Jellal. Erza lunged forward and struck, a blow which Jellal was only barely able to parry.

The battle was on!

* * *

><p>Natsu arrived at the guild to see a crowd gathered around. Looking for an ally, he smiled when Lucy, Gray, and Cana waved him over. "What the hell's going on here?" he asked, trying not to sound frantic.<p>

"Erza challenged Jellal to a duel," said Lucy. "She said something about sinning against you..."

"This is about as serious as I've seen Erza fight in a while" said Gray. "Whatever she did, she's really working to make it straight."

"What did Erza do, anyway?" asked Cana.

Natsu sighed. He knew he couldn't keep this monkey from his friends any longer. "Erza... cheated on me," he admitted. "With Jellal."

As Natsu explained the whole deal, the response was about what he'd expected. Cana had gasped in shock, Lucy was saying that it couldn't be true, and Gray... well, Gray just watched the fight, thinking of something to say.

Finally, the ice mage spoke. "So if I'm understanding everything right, then Erza's fighting Jellal to prove to herself that he doesn't have any more power over her," he said.

"Aye," said Natsu. "That sounds about right."

"Well, I say Erza's damn lucky to have you Natsu," said Cana. "She's doing her damndest to win your forgiveness, even when she's already got it."

"I don't think that's it, Cana," said Natsu. "Erza's fighting for the right to forgive herself."

"Huh? What does that even mean?" asked Lucy.

"Erza has a strong sense of pride," explained Natsu. "I still remember when she was teaching me how to read and write. She taught me how to spell the word convenience, and she spelled it V-I-N-E, which didn't really make sense to me, so I asked Gramps about it. Turns out Erza made a mistake and it was V-E-N-I. She refused to teach me any more for a week, calling herself a failure as a teacher. It took an intense training session in which we spelled convenience over the course of our exercises – you know, a letter for each push-up – before she regained the confidence to continue on with my lessons.

"Point is, once Erza makes a mistake, no matter how big or small, she'll sulk about it for a while, and then she'll do something crazy to make up for it." Natsu laughed. "That's the kind of resolve that made me fall in love with her."

Suddenly, Jellal flew towards the group, landing at Natsu's feet. Erza forced her way through seconds after, pointing her sword at Jellal's chest. Jellal held his hands up in submission. "Have you found what you were looking for?" he asked.

Erza looked from Jellal to Natsu. The Dragon Slayer gave her a shit-eating grin that made her face melt. How she loved that stupid smile. Since they were young, that smile made her feel as if everything in her world was good and right. She looked back to Jellal. "Yes," she said. "I have every confidence that I have."

"I'm glad, Erza," said Jellal. He reached out to hug Jellal, but she recoiled. "Too soon?" he asked.

"By at least a thousand years," said Erza dryly. Suddenly, a strong pair of arms wrapped around her, causing her to gasp. However, when she realized it was only Natsu, she let out a soft laugh.

"I really do love you, you know," Natsu whispered in her ear. "And I'll never give up on you, just as long as you never give up on me."

"Never, Honey Dragon," said Erza lovingly. The couple shared their first real kiss since Erza's affair, much to the delight of the gathered guild members.

And for the first time since that ugly incident, Erza felt at peace.

* * *

><p><strong>There! Nice to have that monkey off my back.<strong>

**Speaking of monkeys on my back, I still need to write V before Valentine's Day, since, spoiler alert, I'm doing Valentine for V. S is pretty much done, I just need to close it out, I've had an idea for T for months now, and U... U is still up in the air, I'm thinking something along the lines of KnightwalkerxDragion, but I see it as being more mature than what I'm used to writing. I like to keep things happy and bright for the most part.**

**Check my profile before the day is done. I'll be talking about different ideas I have for once I write V. After that, I'm just gonna take my time on the last four letters, and hopefully, I can finish before the one-year anniversary of this story in May, which, assuming I post W in February too, will be a chapter a month, freeing me up for other projects.**

**And on the note of other projects, the characters you guys submitted for Lucky Star were amazing. Sadly, though, hardly any of them were what I'm looking for in terms of magic (though I will be basing one of my characters off of one of my earliest submissions and will be in contact with the creator to let him/her know).**

**That's it for now. So until the next chapter, peace and love from Nightlingbolt! Buh-bye.**


	19. S is for Strong

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to more ABCs! Today's letter is S for Strong!**

**I was going to post this the day after Resolve, but... I got sick Wednesday and, basically, felt like shit, so I was kind of distracted from uploading the rest of the week. Just yesterday, I had a cheeseburger, but it wasn't really that great, and I'm still very wary of meat, considering the last thing I ate beforehand was a hot dog.**

**But I'm not here to bum you out with my health problems, I'm here to entertain you with some sweet Natza sugar. ONWARD!**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters. Hiro Mashima does.**

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><p>Night had fallen, and Erza was sitting under the stars with puffy red eyes. She and her team, along with delegates from three other guilds, had just defeated Oracion Seis, a member of the Balam Alliance, with the aid of Erza's childhood friend Jellal. But tragically, Jellal was arrested for his past crimes against the Magic Council, and so she had sought the solitude necessary to cry out her sorrows.<p>

Her head was swimming with thoughts of the day's events, of Jellal, of Nirvana, of Oracion Seis, and to her surprise, of Natsu. Lately, the pink-haired Dragon Slayer had been invading her thoughts. She would never admit it, not even to Master Makarov, but ever since Team Natsu's vacation-turned-rescue mission, she couldn't help but look at Natsu in a more romantic light.

Looking back, she realized she'd had feelings for the Salamander from the day he joined Fairy Tail. His cheerful smile, his unmatchable stubborn streak, and his love for his guild had reminded her of her first love, Jellal, before he had changed into that unspeakable monster.

That worried her. She blamed her love for Jellal for causing her to hesitate, to not use her newfound magic to take his life before he could cause any harm. That last day on the island had all but convinced her that love was for the weak, and from the day Natsu had joined, she had vowed to befriend the Dragon Slayer, but to never love him, or for that matter, any other man.

Eventually, Natsu opened up to the guild about Igneel. From what Erza understood, he was a stern, but loving parent. Erza wanted to tell Natsu that Igneel still loved him, that the dragon would never have abandoned him unless he absolutely had to, but her own experiences with abandonment had tainted those words with the dreaded shadow of doubt. In the end, she never said them.

Despite everything, Natsu still remained the bright flame of hope that inspired their peers to never give up, never surrender. With Natsu, Erza smiled in a way that Gray, or even Makarov could. She was even the one who comforted him after Lisanna's passing, the one who convinced him that life was still worth it, that Lisanna would only want Natsu to be happy. Not long after that, Natsu was back to his usual boisterous self.

Then, the Tower happened. Erza had had Jellal at her mercy, and he had played upon her feelings for him, feelings that she thought she banished long ago, replaced with hatred. But the hatred was there as she was made into a sacrifice for Zeref. She hated Jellal for deceiving her. She hated Zeref for corrupting her first love. But most of all, she hated herself for giving in to the weakness that is love.

However, just as all seemed lost, Natsu appeared to save her. They exchanged a few words, and he knocked her out for a few minutes. When she came to, she saw Natsu fighting Jellal. In the ensuing battle, Erza noticed something. Though it was Etherion that gave Natsu the power to defeat Jellal, it was something else entirely that gave him the will to consume it. It was only when Natsu pulled Erza from the collapsing Tower, stopping her from sacrificing herself, and waking up in his surprisingly strong arms, that she realized just what drove Natsu to do what he did.

It was also the first time she admitted to herself that she had fallen in love with Natsu Dragneel.

Instinctively, she sensed the Dragon Slayer's presence. "Hey, Natsu," she said in a dull monotone.

"Okay, so you're not kicking me halfway across Fiore. That's a good sign at least," he joked.

"Why would I settle for halfway?" said Erza with a smile. Natsu always did manage to bring out the best in her.

"Why did you do that?" asked Erza suddenly.

"Do what?" said Natsu.

"Why did you fight the Rune Knights?" she clarified.

Natsu's expression turned grim. "I couldn't let them take Jellal," he said with a grunt.

"Why not? What exactly is he to you?" Erza questioned.

"He's a comrade," said Natsu. "He proved that today. But more importantly," the Dragon Slayer sighed. "He's the man that makes you happy."

Erza gave Natsu a blank stare. "That's why you risked getting yourself arrested?" she asked.

"Uhhhhh..." Natsu was not expecting this kind of reaction from Erza. "Yes?" This was met by a slap to his forehead.

"You idiot," said Erza. "Strawberry cake makes me happy, and at least that's never betrayed me." The pair shared a laugh, after which, Erza continued on a more serious note.

"Natsu... I cried today. Not because Jellal was arrested, but because I realized the Jellal I knew was truly dead. If, by some miracle, the Council does decide to free Jellal, he would never be that same boy full of hope again, replaced by a man haunted by the specters of his past atrocities. That is what breaks my heart. I can only have faith that someday, we will meet again. However, as I said, he will be a whole different person."

Natsu nodded at Erza's words. "That's the spirit, Erza," he said. "Think positive. Look towards the future. I can't speak for Jellal, but if I could, I would say that's what he wants out of you.

"As for what I want out of you, I just want you to stay that same strong and scary Erza I've known since I was a kid. And if ever you grow weak, let me be your strength. Let me fight for you when you can't fight your own battles. That's what being in Fairy Tail is all about, right?"

Erza gave a timid smile. She decided that now was the time to let her feelings show. "Natsu... have you ever thought that... maybe... we share a bond that transcends Fairy Tail?" she asked.

Natsu looked confused. "What kind of bond?" he replied.

"Well... something like... each of us being the half that makes the other whole?"

Natsu smiled. "I thought I felt that way about... Lisanna... once," he said, not noticing Erza frown at the deceased girl's name. "But in those days, I was too afraid of love, if that's what we're talking about." He laughed. "You're gonna think this is really stupid, but..."

"But?" Erza prompted.

"But I was too afraid to open my heart to love, because I didn't want to feel like I did when Igneel left," said Natsu. "That was the only thing keeping me going when she died." He laughed again, only this time without a trace of humor. "I dunno what I would've done if I admitted it."

The frown from earlier remained on Erza's face. "That doesn't really answer my question, though," she said.

"Let's just say I fought Jellal for reasons other than us being nakama," said Natsu with a grin.

Erza, however, was not satisfied. "What reasons were those?" she asked.

"Well, when Simon told me Jellal was using your feelings for him to defeat you... something clicked in my brain," said Natsu. "I realized that I didn't want to ever see you crying, for any reason. I realized I would do anything to keep you strong, scary, and most of all... happy.

"So I guess I do feel that way about you. The same I felt for Lisanna, I mean."

Erza smiled, satisfied for the first time that night. "Natsu," she said. "I want to do something with you. Something that will change our relationship forever. However, I'll only do this if you're willing."

Suddenly, Natsu became all flustered for some reason. "I... I dunno, Erza," he said. "I mean, don't you think it's too early for that? I mean... sure, we've known each other since we were kids, but shouldn't we at least... date a while before that?"

It took Erza a moment to realize what Natsu was referring to, and she punched his cheek because of it. "I didn't mean that, dumbass!" she said harshly.

"Owww... so what _did_ you mean?" asked Natsu as he rubbed his cheek. Erza responded by cupping the Salamander's face in her hands and gazing straight into his eyes, before finally placing her lips upon his.

The kiss was unexpected, but not unpleasant. Natsu had joked about kissing Erza with Gray before, but now that she was kissing him, it felt surreal. And he found he wanted more with each passing second. He could taste Erza's strawberry lip gloss on his tongue. _"Her favorite flavor,"_ he thought. Erza's mouth opened, and he explored the inside, hungry for more.

Erza pulled away, still a little out of breath from crying earlier. "Oh. That," said Natsu. "Yeah, that makes tons more sense."

"I still can't believe you expected us to have sex!" said Erza.

Natsu flinched. "Geez, do you have to say it like that?" he said.

"You are such a virgin," huffed Erza.

"Shut up and kiss me," demanded Natsu. Erza's lips were about an inch away from his when something occurred to him. He held up a hand to stop Erza and turned around.

"Hey Jellal!" yelled Natsu. "I know you can't hear me, but I just wanna tell you I'm going to protect Erza! I'm going to keep her happy and strong, just like you used to do! More importantly, I'm going give her all the love I can, and even the love you wanted to give her! And also- ow!" Erza had thumped him before he could continue. "The hell was that for?"

"I think Jellal gets the idea," giggled Erza. She gave Natsu another kiss and said, "You should go back. I... I'm not ready for the others to know about us."

Natsu frowned at Erza's words. He wanted nothing more than to tell everyone (especially Gray) that Erza was his to love and protect. But he knew she still needed to sort out the whole Jellal thing, so he just stalked off back to camp.

Now that Erza was alone, she had time to think about her new relationship. It felt so good to give into her feelings for Natsu. And the best part was, now that she had, she felt stronger than ever.

Sometimes, it felt good to be wrong.

* * *

><p><strong>And here we go!<strong>

**Now, I know I said I was going to work on T and U so I could get V up in time for Valentine's Day, but I haven't really been in a writing mood since getting sick, so I feel like three chapters in a month or so is a little much to ask until I get my groove back. Worst-case scenario, I have to come up with a different prompt for V so I don't look like a stoop for posting a late Valentine's Day fic. I do have a backup plan, but that all depends on how receptive my audience is to the idea of a Natsu/Erza/Lucy three-way relationship. Oh well, I may still post it as an experiment.**

**But for the near future, I've got chuggaaconroy's new Pokemon Emerald LP to keep my spirits up. So on that comforting note, I leave you all peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


	20. T is for Traveler

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to more of The ABCs of Natsu and Erza! Today's letter is T for Traveler!**

**A little background on this chapter: I've had it in my head for a while now, and the character Arashi was kind of inspired by an episode of Young Justice. You know, the one with Doctor Fate? Anyway, I want to say more about Arashi, but... well, you'll see.**

**I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does. I do, however, own Arashi and his late wife, Hana.**

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><p>It had been a long, brutal, tiresome mission, but at last, it was complete, and Team Natsu was taking the long-awaited (except in Natsu's case) train ride home. Lucy had somehow convinced Gray to give Natsu and Erza their space, and the couple was currently snuggled up together. Or at least, Erza was trying to snuggle up to Natsu while the Dragon Slayer was fighting not to blow chunks all over her.<p>

Finally, Erza could take no more of her lover's resistance, and so she knocked him out the way she had done many times before, all so he could make it through the train ride in peace. Natsu fell face first into Erza's lap, and the knight began to absentmindedly stroke his hair.

"In all my years, that's the first time I've seen someone knock a person out of their motion sickness," said a gruff voice.

Erza stiffened. She was worn out from the mission, and Natsu was currently unconscious, no thanks to her. She took a good look at the man who spoke. His crimson hair was streaked with gray in a few places, and his golden amber eyes spoke of great life experience. His suit was faded, but it was obvious he still took care of it.

"A shame Natsu's in no condition to enjoy the ride," the man said. "I would've liked to speak with him."

Erza stiffened at the man's words. "How do you know Natsu?" she asked cautiously.

"A mutual friend," said the man. "Name's Arashi."

"Nice to meet you, Arashi," said Erza. "I am Erza Scarlet."

"Charmed," said Arashi. "So where are you kids headed?"

"Home to Magnolia," said Erza. "We're mages of Fairy Tail coming home from a mission."

"Magnolia, eh?" said Arashi with a hint of wist. "I'm headed that way myself. My wife's there waiting for me."

"Really?" said Erza conversationally. "What does she do?"

"These days? Feeding the worms, probably," said Arashi with a sad smile.

Erza didn't understand what Arashi meant at first, but eventually, the realization dawned on her. "I'm so sorry," she said.

"Don't be," said Arashi. "After twenty years, the pain's faded enough that I can talk about it with a smile. Hana never did like me moping around for her sake." He sighed. "Ah, what a firebrand she was."

Arashi reached into his jacket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it to reveal a black and white picture of a woman with long hair. "This is Hana," he said, showing the picture to Erza.

The scarlet-haired knight took the picture gratefully. "She's beautiful," she gasped.

"Isn't she?" agreed Arashi. He suddenly noticed the bandages covering Erza's left hip. "Nasty wound you have there," he said. "Get that from your mission?"

"Yes," said Erza, wincing in pain at the reminder of the wound. "An acceptable sacrifice for the success of the mission."

Arashi frowned. "How'd Natsu react to that?" he asked.

Erza was taken aback at Arashi's question, but she made an effort to not show it. "He blamed himself for my injuries," she said after a little hesitation.

"But he didn't cause them," said Arashi, a trace of a smile on his face.

"No. He was preoccupied with his own opponents and was unable to come to my aid," said Erza. "He blames himself for not being strong enough to protect me. If he was, according to his logic, I wouldn't have gotten hurt." Here, Erza broke into a shy smile. "But that's one of his best qualities. He always thinks of his guild, his comrades, and his friends before himself." Giving a brisk laugh, she added, "Except where his stomach is concerned. Then it's all about number one."

"Sounds like Natsu's important to you, Erza," said Arashi, causing Erza to blush. "Don't deny it, I haven't been wrong about love yet," he added with a chuckle.

"How... how did you guess?" asked a flustered Erza.

"Little things," said Arashi. "Our whole conversation, your gaze has been drifting down to Natsu's face. Along with that, you've been playing with his hair the whole time. And you talk about Natsu with a certain degree of reverence. Not the kind for a parent, deity, or anyone like that. I mean the kind you hold for someone who truly makes you happy."

Erza considered Arashi's words for a moment. Yes, no matter how down she was feeling, Natsu was always there to put a smile on her face, be it a few simple words of encouragement, a challenge to fight, or just one of his boneheaded ideas. Every time she was about to sink into the darkness, even the thought of Natsu was enough to bring her back to the light.

"Yes," she said. "I suppose I do love Natsu."

"And if Natsu is anything like you described him, he loves you, too," said Arashi gently. "Would you like to hear about the first time I met Hana?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Erza. "Very much."

And so Arashi told Erza about the early days of his and Hana's courtship. Erza found that there were several parallels to her relationship with Natsu. Apparently, Arashi was about as hotheaded as Natsu in his youth, and it gave Erza a certain satisfaction to learn that Arashi had considered Hana to be scary.

Eventually, the train pulled up to Magnolia Station, and it was time for them to part ways. "Erza..." said Arashi suddenly. "Fairy Tail..." He snapped his fingers. "Of course!" exclaimed Arashi. "You're the famous Titania!"

"Yes," said a confused Erza. "But what does my title have to do with anything?"

"I've heard nothing but good things about you," said Arashi. "Strong... beautiful... stout-hearted... Remember that mutual friend I mentioned? There's not a doubt in my mind you would have his blessing!" With that, Arashi walked out of the car onto the platform, leaving Erza to ponder the meaning behind his words.

Erza didn't have much time to think before Natsu woke up. "Erza... during the ride..." he trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"Yes?" prompted Erza nervously. "During the ride what?"

Natsu was obviously fighting back tears. "I thought I smelled Igneel."

Erza gasped. There was no way Igneel would have ridden with her on a train. Unless... No, that couldn't be possible!

Could it?

* * *

><p><strong>DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!<strong>

**No, seriously, the first to figure out Arashi's secret will get a shoutout in U. Speaking of, I need to figure out a prompt for that.**

**I'm seriously starting to doubt whether I can get V up before Valentine's Day, considering I'm getting my bottom wisdom teeth out Thursday, and I might not be in any sort of writing mood for a couple days after that. I'll keep you posted.**

**And speaking of that, I have a new blog called Nightling News. Basically, it's like the little bolded section of my profile now, except in blog form. I needed to create one to follow a friend of mine, so I figured "hey, why not post my ideas for fanfiction and other projects there?" The link is nightlingbolt blogspot com (where spaces are periods). Just thought I'd throw that out there.**

**Anyway, that's about it for today. Until whenever, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


	21. U is for Umbrella

**Guys... we seriously need to talk. Regarding last chapter, there was no way Arashi could have been THE Igneel. While I'm not 100% sure dragons can take a human form, there was no way Igneel would do that. He's been portrayed as adamant in the belief that dragons are not to interfere in human affairs, which regrettably includes his son and his girlfriend/wife/fiance. Also, if Arashi was Natsu's biological father, why would Natsu say he smelled Igneel? Only one person (Moonless Eclipse) got it right. Arashi is, in fact, my version of Edo-Igneel. I say my version, because I don't know if he will be introduced in the actual manga.**

**But anyway, today's letter is U for Umbrella. Let's get right to it, since I wasted all my talking time explaining Arashi.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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><p>It was a rainy day at the Fairy Tail Guild. Rain meant different things to the different members, but one thing it meant to everyone was staying indoors, and subsequently, boredom.<p>

Erza was used to the rain. Even in the worst weather, the Tower of Heaven slaves were worked mercilessly. If you couldn't work, you were killed and replaced with someone who could, no questions asked. She had worked through the rain, the cold, and any impending sicknesses they brought. So as you can imagine, she had one hell of an immune system.

Still, if she were to go out in this weather, Master would worry about her. It was the same with the other guild members, so she took it upon herself to make sure everyone was present and accounted for during rain.

"Gray!" she called out.

"Here!" said the ice mage.

"Cana!"

"Here..." said the eternally depressed card mage.

"Elfman, Mira, and Lisanna!"

"We're all here, Erza!" said Mira impatiently "Geez, don't have a heart attack! Or rather, do, because with you gone, I'm the strongest girl in Fairy Tail!" The Demon laughed like a crazy person at that.

"You-!" Erza made to attack her rival, but was held back by Laxus's strong hand.

"Take a pill, Erza. She's obviously trying to get you going," said the disinterested lightning mage.

"The boy's right, Erza!" said the voice of Master Makarov. "Mira-chan doesn't mean anything by it, does she?" He cast a glance at the eldest Strauss sibling, who trembled where she stood.

"N-no, Master," she said weakly.

Makarov laughed. "See? All in good fun!" he said. "Now then, is everyone here?" He activated his Titan magic, growing himself taller as to obtain a better view of the guild hall. "Everyone seems to be here, except..." he frowned and restored his size.

"Where is Natsu?"

Suddenly, the guild was abuzz. Sure, there were people who didn't like the young Dragon Slayer, but no one wanted him hurt in any way.

Finally, Gray spoke up. "Natsu said something about going out to train," he said. "Dunno why, he had to know it was gonna rain today."

"And you didn't stop him?" yelled a worried Erza, causing Gray to flinch.

"I don't see what the big deal is," said Laxus. "So the idiot trains in the rain. Worst he's gonna get is a bad cold, maybe throw up a little-"

"He could get pneumonia, Laxus!" yelled a panicked Erza. "He could die!"

"Will you just relax already?" yelled Laxus right back. "He's a Dragon Slayer! He was raised by a dragon! A thousand jewels says he knows what to do if he gets caught in the rain!"

Erza was not placated. "Master, I'm going to find him!" she said to Makarov. Without another word, she Requipped into basic rain gear – a hat, a raincoat, galoshes, and an umbrella – and headed out to find her pink-haired friend.

"Is it me, or does she panic more than usual when it comes to Natsu?" said Makarov, mostly to himself.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, Erza had gotten a dependable lead on Natsu's location. Porlyusica had been in town to obtain some apples from the local stand. She had mentioned something about Natsu training in his forest. However, the young girl dashed off towards the Eastern Forest before the healer could say much more.<p>

Sure enough, in a clearing, there was Natsu, sitting cross-legged with the rain cascading over him, doing his best to maintain a small flame between his hands. Erza watched for a few moments, in awe at the pink-haired boy's mastery of fire.

However, the rain eventually won out, and the flame disappeared. "Damn it!" yelled Natsu. "And that was the longest I've had it going, too!" It was then he noticed Erza. Thinking he was in trouble, he instantly went into grovel mode. "Erza, whatever it was I did, I'm sorry and I promise not to do it again!" he said hastily.

Erza only blinked at him. "What are you talking about, Natsu?" she asked. "I was only looking for you because it was raining."

"Aye!" said Natsu, his demeanor much more relaxed. "And you can't spell 'training' without 'raining,' right?"

"I don't follow," said Erza.

"The mark of the Fire Dragon is flames that can endure all conditions, be it rain, snow, sandstorm, whatever," said Natsu. "The longer my flame burns, the harsher the conditions, the stronger I become. Or at least that's how Igneel put it."

"I see," said Erza. "So this is endurance training for fire mages."

"Pretty much, yeah," said Natsu. He then sneezed several times in succession.

"This is exactly what I was afraid of!" scolded Erza. "You go out training in the rain, and you start to sneeze because you're all cold and wet!"

"What, this? This is nothing!" gloated Natsu. He then sneezed on Erza's jacket, and to no one's surprise, the young girl freaked out.

"EWWWWW, GROSS!" she shrieked. "Now I'm gonna get sick from your germs, you stupid jerk!" As she said this, she kept hitting Natsu in the head with her umbrella.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Erza, stop! I'm sorry!" moaned Natsu with each repeated blow. Suddenly, Erza started sneezing as well.

"See, it's already starting! Thanks a lot, Natsu!" she huffed.

"You idiot! You're sneezing because you were out in the cold all this time looking for me!" said Natsu. He stepped close to Erza, not enough to touch, but enough that she felt uncomfortable.

"Wha-what are you doing?" said Erza nervously.

"Sharing your umbrella, of course!" said Natsu as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I mean, do you want me to walk back to the guild without something to cover me?"

Erza hesitated. "You should've brought one for yourself, then!" she said indignantly.

"Whatever," said Natsu. "Let's go back and get Macao to make us that chicken soup we like so much!"

Whether the Dragon Slayer realized it or not, his hand gripped Erza's umbrella – and the hand holding it. And oddly enough, she didn't mind it.

She just hoped he'd think her cheeks were red from the cold.

* * *

><p><strong>Well... this is cute. Not my best work, but cute nonetheless.<strong>

**Either way, I'm up to V, with seventeen days left before Valentine's Day! If I can't write a Valentine's themed chapter before then, I should just give up writing altogether. It will be up Valentine's Day, don't you worry about that, and from there, four letters to go! We're on the homestretch, people!**

**So until that wonderful day of romance where people like me hate their sad, pathetic, empty excuses for lives, peace and love from Nightlingbolt, especially love. Bye-bye, and have a wonderful seventeen days.**


	22. V is for Valentine

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to more of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's letter is V for Valentine!**

**Now, I don't really write stories to mark different holidays/occasions/whatnot, but I figured this would be a good way to get the V chapter out of the way. Not that I didn't have that many ideas for the letter, just... shut up!**

**Also, I feel it's worth reminding you all that I started ABCs when I was on a Lucy/Cana kick. These days, I enjoy LaxusxCana, but there's no denying the subtext between the two girls. Besides, I didn't want to screw with the canon I had established long before the timeskip was a thing, so I'm leaving the pairings as is. Just saying, since LucyxCana is a mentioned pairing in this and other chapters.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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><p>Natsu, Lucy, and Happy had just returned from a mission to protect a caravan carrying valuable artifacts, which Natsu, surprisingly enough, didn't manage to destroy.<p>

Actually, it wasn't that surprising at all, in terms of money. The mission didn't pay that much, but it did pay enough for Lucy to pay her rent, but only with one extra person joining her. So it was great reluctance that she cast aside Gray and Erza for this job, mostly because they had a way of evening out Natsu's destructive nature (especially Erza).

Unfortunately, what little bandits had attack were weak enough that even Virgo could take them out, and they weren't even mages to boot, a fact that obviously didn't sit well with Natsu.

"Lucyyyyyyyyyyy!" Natsu whined. "That mission was so lame! Can't we go on another one?"

Lucy sighed. She half-expected this reaction from the Dragon Slayer once they got back and his motion sickness wore off. "Natsu, no. I'm tired," she said.

"How can you be tired?" asked Natsu incredulously. "Those guys weren't even worth our time! I mean, here I am all fired up for a fight, and I get... that!"

"Aye! Even I beat someone up!" said Happy.

"Look, I was expecting more, too," said Lucy. "But the trip was long, and I am exhausted." As if to punctuate her statement, she gave a big yawn. "It's a miracle we made it back in time for tomorrow as it is!"

"Tomorrow?" repeated a confused Natsu. "What's so great about tomorrow?"

Lucy groaned. "What's tomorrow's date, Natsu?" she asked.

"The fourteenth," replied Natsu.

"Of what month?"

"February."

"And what holiday is celebrated on February 14th?"

"Valentine's Day." Natsu paused to consider his words. "Valentine's Day? Shit! I didn't get Erza anything! She's gonna kill me!"

"You're dooooomed!" trilled Happy.

Yes, it was Natsu and Lucy's first Valentine's Day as a couple. Lucy could barely believe her friend forgot the occasion. But then, this was Natsu she was thinking of, so she should've come to expect it from the pink-haired Dragon Slayer.

"Lucy, you gotta help me!" said Natsu. "What are you doing for Cana?"

"Natsu. Lucy doesn't have to do anything for Cana!" said Happy. "She's on the bottom!"

Lucy blushed furiously at the Exceed's remark. "Shut up, you damn cat!" she growled.

"Okay, then what are you doing for Carla?" Natsu asked his foster son.

"Give her a fish! Aye!" said Happy.

"You're no help at all!" screamed Natsu.

"Well, maybe if you'd date someone with an appreciation for fish!" complained Happy. "Like Lucy!"

"I don't have an appreciation for..." Lucy started to say, but she caught on to the double meaning. "You ASSHOLE!" she shrieked.

It took Happy a second, but when he realized it, he blushed. "I swear I didn't mean it like that!" he said.

"Yeah yeah, I get it! Lucy likes fish! I don't have time for this! I need a present for Erza!" whined Natsu.

"All the stores are probably closed by this time, Natsu!" said Happy as he avoided Lucy's attempts to strangle him. "Best you can hope for is to get some sleep and check everywhere in the morning!"

"Yeah, you're probably right," sighed Natsu. "Come on, Happy. See you, Lucy!" With that, he and his feline partner started off for home, leaving Lucy frothing at the mouth over Happy's fish comment.

* * *

><p>Something in the guild felt... peculiar.<p>

It wasn't the paper hearts hanging all over the guild. No, Mirajane had made that a Valentine's Day tradition ever since she stopped being The Demon. It wasn't the loud love songs playing, either. Even before Lisanna's disappearance, Master Makarov had always been the festive type, meaning crappy love songs every February 14th.

No, what felt wrong to Erza was that something was missing. Or more specifically, someone. Now who was missing? There were Bisca and Alzack, too shy to say anything to each other, there was Juvia fawning over Gray, Lucy watching Cana drink, Gajeel sitting alone with Lily while Levy watched him from afar, much to Jet and Droy's chargin, and of course, Mira serving drinks at the bar. Everyone else was busy being their usual loud, boisterous selves. It wasn't until she glanced over the guild for the third time that she noticed the lack of distinctive pink hair.

"Has anyone seen Natsu?" asked Erza.

The entire guild stopped what they were doing, looking for their pink-haired Salamander. "Haven't seen him all day," shrugged Laxus.

"What are we, his babysitters?" asked Bixlow, with his babies chattering in agreement.

"I do believe he went on a job with Lucy," said Fried. "But that was two days ago, and Lucy's back now."

"Lucy, huh?" said Erza. Turning her glare on the Celestial mage, she asked where Natsu was, making the other girl flinch.

"Natsu said he was going into town to find you a present!" explained Lucy in a panic.

Erza raised a brow. A present? It wasn't her birthday, and Christmas was out, as it was only February. "A present?" she repeated. "For what?"

Lucy hesitated. On one hand, she was the only one who knew about Erza's relationship with Natsu, and she was positive Erza would kill her if she said anything. But on the other hand, she would kill her for not answering her question.

"Well?" asked Erza, her voice raised by this point, hand reaching for her sword. That decided Lucy's next action for her.

"Valentine's Day! Don't kill me!" said Lucy.

Valentine's Day? Wait, Lucy knew about her and Natsu? Hadn't they agreed not to tell anybody yet? True, it was only Lucy, but still, she was neither Natsu nor herself, so she shouldn't have any idea yet.

"That idiot!" growled Erza. She then stormed out of the guild, presumably to find Natsu.

"He's fucked," said Gajeel offhandedly. The guild members all murmured in agreement.

* * *

><p>Natsu was getting desperate. He had been to every store, bakery, and magic shop in Magnolia, and still had found nothing he could give to Erza. She had already expressed her dislike for flowers, and everywhere else had been cleared out by now.<p>

But in true Fairy Tail fashion, he wouldn't dare give up until Erza caught up to him and proceeded to beat the living crap put of him. There had to be something he could give to Erza! There just had to be!

"Natsu?"

That voice! It could only be Erza! Oh, he was in deep shit now! "Oh! H-h-hi, Erza!" stammered Natsu.

Erza gave him a hard stare. "Lucy tells me you're trying to find me a Valentine's Day present."

"Aye."

"And you just now realized today was Valentine's Day," said Erza incredulously.

"Ummm... yes?" said Natsu, wincing as he braced for impact.

"It's okay," said Erza, pulling Natsu into a hug. "I only figured it out when I saw the paper hearts in the guild."

Natsu looked up, wondering where the pain was. "I... what?"

Erza's gaze softened considerably. "Natsu... I don't celebrate Valentine's Day," she said gently. "Love isn't something you can dedicate a whole day to. It takes a 24/7 commitment, or else it's going to fail. In other words, I don't need a special day to show I love you when I can do it any old time I want. And I would hope you feel the same about me."

Natsu blinked. Now that he knew he was off the hook, he returned to his usual confident self. "Why the hell wouldn't I?" he said. He then reached out for a kiss, which the knight was only too happy to give.

Suddenly, Natsu was content with the world again. His girlfriend wasn't out to kill him, and it seemed like nothing could go wrong for him now.

"However!" said Erza, pulling away from the kiss and releasing Natsu from her grip. "I am curious as to why you told Lucy about us when we agreed to keep it a secret."

Natsu gulped. Just because it seemed like nothing could go wrong didn't mean it couldn't.

* * *

><p><strong>Gajeel's right. Natsu IS fucked! :)<strong>

**I hope my female audience isn't too offended by that fish joke, but once I realized Happy's love of fish coincided with Lucy's love of "fish," I just couldn't help myself! Don't deny it, you know Happy would end up making that joke if Canon!Lucy was gay!**

**Sorry if this wasn't as mushy as you'd expect a Valentine's themed entry to be, but I wanted to play up the angle that Valentine's Day was a pointless holiday, and Erza seemed like she'd be the type to agree.**

**So I guess I'll just spend my Valentine's Day alone... Peace and love from Nightlingbolt... sigh...**


	23. W is for Worry

**Hello, people. Nightlingbolt here. Welcome back to more of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza."**

**Go ahead. Flame me all you like. Because today's letter is W, but not for Wedding, or even for White. No, today is W for Worry. I know, I know! I've completely disappointed you all! But one, I completely forgot about White Day until late last night, so I didn't have time to prepare anything for it (like I said on Twitter, that's what comes from living in a Western country that doesn't celebrate White Day), and I do not think I could've done a wedding justice with just a oneshot. But if I haven't already mentioned this before, I do plan on doing some extra chapters once I post Z, so maybe I'll write a two-parter for the wedding then. ****But until that day, please enjoy this not-so-little snippet inspired by Mrs. HopeEstheim's brilliantly done ElfmanxEvergreen story, "More Than A Joke."**

**Also, I know I haven't been good about rating these, but I should mention right now that this chapter is rated M just because I feel its plot demands it.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

><p>Natsu stood on the train, looking out the window with grim determination. Of course, in any other situation, he would be a sick heap on the floor, but Happy had wisely chosen not to make that remark.<p>

Because this wasn't any other situation.

Erza had been on an S-Class mission to destroy some sort of monster, and was due back in four days' time. Her return was supposed to be one week ago today.

Naturally, the guild members, especially Natsu, were worried. Natsu had made a promise to Erza's childhood friend, Jellal Fernandes, to protect her if ever she needed it. If it turned out she did need it and he wasn't there to guard the Titania with his life, he would never forgive himself.

Not that Natsu was worried. Erza would stay alive, no matter what the cost. She had promised him, after all – they had promised each other – that against all odds, she would live. For her guild. For her friends. For him. That thought kept him sane throughout this whole ordeal.

Of course, Makarov had tried to dissuade Natsu from going. "You have no idea what kind of trap you might be falling into!" Natsu remembered the old Master saying. The rest of the conversation had devolved into a shouting match in which Natsu stormed out of the guild and bought a ticket for the next train to the location of Erza's mission, motion sickness be damned.

As the train pulled into his stop, he subconsciously ignited his fists. According to the mayor, Erza had successfully completed her mission and boarded the morning train bound for Magnolia. As such, it was a shock to him that she hadn't made it home yet.

All of Natsu's instincts pointed to a dark guild of some sort. He asked about all the dark guilds the mayor knew of. He didn't know of any, but warned of a group of slavers based in Tulip, where he was currently getting off. "Let's go, Happy," ordered the Dragon Slayer.

"Aye, sir," replied Happy timidly. The blue Exceed had hardly ever seen Natsu this serious. In fact, the few times he had had to do with Erza in some capacity. And the kind of transformation any sort of threat to Erza invoked in Natsu scared him. All he could do was follow along and hope they found Erza in one piece.

When Natsu left the station, however, he was greeted by four familiar, but not unwelcome faces. A black-haired boy without a shirt, a blond girl wielding a whip, and a little blunette with a female cat not unlike Happy standing at her feet.

"Lucy! Gray! Wendy!" Natsu exclaimed.

"And Carla!" Happy supplied.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked the bewildered Dragon Slayer.

"Master sent us to help you," said Lucy.

"When you stormed out the other night, he decided it was pointless to convince you to stay," said Gray.

"So we volunteered to join the fight!" said Wendy brightly.

"Let's face it, if Erza couldn't face this threat alone, what chance do you have?" asked Carla.

"And that's where we come in," said Gray.

"We're always willing to fight alongside you," said Lucy. "Even if you don't want us around!"

"So don't go walking out on us again. Got it, Matchstick?" asked Gray harshly.

Natsu smiled. Suddenly, he realized what a fool he was for abandoning his nakama. Of course they loved Erza as much as he did, even if he loved her in a non-nakama way. "I couldn't do this without you guys," said Natsu.

"What do you think's gotten you this far?" said Gray.

"Hey! You saying I need you to be strong, Ice Pop?" yelled Natsu.

"I'm saying that trying to be a big damn hero and save everyone by yourself is a good way to get yourself killed, Flamebreath!" Gray shouted back.

"All right, cool it!" yelled Lucy, whipping them both on the head. The boys flinched in pain, and Carla took the opportunity to spoke.

"We overheard a pair of bandits saying their boss had captured the strongest Fairy," said Carla. "I assume they meant Erza."

"They're here in this town," said Wendy determinedly. "We have to find them and take Erza-san back!"

"We're coming for you, Erza!" said Natsu. "Let's go, team!"

"AYE!" the group cheered. And with that...

...Natsu threw up.

Lucy shrieked. Gray jumped backwards. Carla closed her eyes. Wendy turned her head and covered her nose. Meanwhile, Happy looked relieved.

"He's been unconsciously surpressing his motion sickness," he explained.

"It's amazing the effect love has on people," mused Carla.

* * *

><p>Erza woke up, chained to the same pole, trapped in the same damnable cage she was in for God knows how long. The clothes she wore only just protected her modesty, and even through the drugs her captors had constantly given her, she had managed to piece together their plans for her.<p>

These people were slave traders, and they were intent on selling her on the black market. Upon reflection, she probably should have lost her virginity already, for the fact that she remained untouched only excited her captors and, ultimately, drove her price through the roof. Add that to her reputation as the Titania, and she was estimated to be worth at least six million Jewels.

The drugs that they gave her served two purposes. First, they completely nullified her magic. Second, they made her docile as they exercised her. Other than that, she was given quite a healthy diet, but she knew why they did so in the first place. She also knew that for a brief period in between her dosages, the drug would wear off enough to allow her motor control, though the cage they kept her in was surrounded by runes that prevented the use of magic.

Her plan was simple, so simple that she was amazed her captors didn't think of it before. The guard that kept her fed wore the key to her bonds on his belt, and he would be coming in to readminister the drug, so if she could simply overpower him while she had the chance, she could free herself, Requip into her armor, and just go nuts on these guys.

CRASH!

Sounded like someone was going nuts already.

Erza heard a loud "MOOOOOOOOOOOO!" and realized that that cry belonged to Lucy's Taurus spirit. So her team had come for her after all!

The mage that Lucy had been fighting came crashing through the wall. She noticed a green glow on Taurus's arms, a telltale sign of Wendy's Sky magic.

Gray and the aforementioned Dragon Slayer, along with Lucy and Natsu, stepped through the massive hole in the wall after the Bull spirit, who instantly took note of Erza's attire.

"Erza-san! Your udders look positively moooooooooooo-tiful today!" said Taurus excitedly.

"FORCED GATE CLOSURE!" yelled Lucy, fearing what harm her spirit might do to Erza in her state. This was met by a glare from Carla.

"You do realize that Taurus's enhanced strength was our best chance of freeing Erza?" asked the white Exceed harshly.

"Calm down, Carla!" Erza shouted. "I'm sure we can figure something out!"

"Erza's right!" agreed Natsu, who had apparently taken charge of the situation. "Gray, you and I are busting down that cage!"

"Got it!" said Gray. "Ice-Make: Cold Excalibur!" Gray created a very large broadsword of ice.

"Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist!" yelled Natsu. His hands became engulfed in spheres of light. On his mark, he started punching the cage, and Gray swung his sword. Several explosions occurred, destroying the room they were in, but surprisingly enough, the cage remained intact.

"Damn!" said Gray. "Our strongest attacks, and that cage is still standing!"

Natsu growled. "Then we'll just have to do them again and again until that goddamn cage breaks!" he roared. "Crimson Lotus-"

"Natsu!" yelled Lucy. "Calm down! If that didn't break the bars last time, what makes you think any other time is going to work?"

"Lucy's right, Natsu," said Erza. "This cage is reinforced with anti-magic runes inside and out."

"Gaaah!" screamed Natsu. "There's got to be a way to get you out of there!"

Happy chose this moment to interject. "Can't Gray just make a key out of ice like he did in Edolas?" he asked.

"What?" everyone exclaimed.

"Happy," said Carla patiently. "Even if Gray could make a key, it would dissolve due to being made through magical means." Happy looked dejected at Carla's explanation.

"Wait a minute, guys!" said Wendy. "Happy might be onto something!"

"Explain!" ordered Erza.

"I mean, what if the runes are designed for defensive purposes? Natsu and Gray's attacks might not have worked due to their offensive nature, but there's a chance it won't recognize a key as a threat," the Sky Dragon Slayer explained.

Everyone took a minute to consider Wendy's idea. "It's worth a shot, if nothing else," said Lucy.

Natsu nodded at Lucy's remark. "Do it," he ordered Gray.

"Just give me a second to familiarize myself with the lock," replied Gray, walking up to the door. "Ice-Make: Key!"

Nobody moved, not daring to disturb Gray's concentration. Finally, the lock clicked, and the cage door swung open.

"You did it!" said Lucy.

"How did you know that?" asked Happy.

"Fried-san explained the basics of Jutsu Shiki to me once," said Wendy. "First rule: be specific with your rules."

"I'll have to thank Fried when we get back," said Erza with a smile.

"Now the chain," ordered Natsu.

"I'd love to, flamebreath, but the runes prevent magic from being used inside the cage!" explained Gray.

Suddenly, a screen appeared inside the cage. "'The prisoner is not permitted to use magic within the bounds of these runes,'" Gray read. "Huh. Who knew?"

"Just unlock the damn chains!" yelled Natsu.

"Geez, when'd Charcoal-For-Brains get so bossy?" grumbled Gray as he made another key. He unlocked the collar that bound Erza.

Needless to say, Natsu was at Erza's side in an instant. "Erza!" he exclaimed. "Are you all right?" He started to growl. "Did those bastards hurt you?"

"Calm down, Natsu," said Erza gently. "I'm fine, thanks to all of you."

Natsu beamed. "Yeah, well, I didn't really need these guys. I could've done it all on my own," he said.

"Hey!" said Gray indignantly. "Didn't you say yourself that you couldn't have done this without us?"

"I meant that spiritually!" said Natsu. "You didn't have to take me seriously!"

"Yeah?" challenged Gray. "Well good luck breaking Erza out of that cage yourself, squinty-eyes!"

"I could break a hundred of those cages, droopy-eyes!" countered Natsu.

"Both of you, cool it!" snapped Erza, though she was secretly glad that things were back to normal. "And Gray, put your clothes back on!"

"You're a fine one to talk!" said Gray. "You might as well be naked!"

"Hey! This was the only covering I was given in days!" yelled Erza. "Don't you think if it were up to me, I'd be wearing something more modest?"

"So Requip into something else already!" said Gray.

"Your wish is my command!" quipped Erza. With that, she yanked off the barely-there bra she had been wearing.

"Kyaaah! Erza!" exclaimed Lucy, covering Wendy's eyes.

"I wasn't serious about you being naked!" shouted Gray.

"Well, I'm not about to add a slave costume to my Requip inventory," said Erza, moving onto the bottoms.

"Can't you just get rid of it at home?" asked Lucy.

"Of course I could," said Erza. "However, it's the principle that matters most to me." She Requipped into her standard armor. "You can look now, Wendy."

"I thought I heard some insects buzzing about," said a deep voice in a Middle-Eastern accent. The Fairy Tail mages turned to the hole in the wall to see a fat man with a long beard in Arabian-style clothes.

"Tell me, insects," said the man. "Whatever possessed you into freeing my slave?"

This did not sit well with Natsu. "What did you call Erza, you slime?" he snarled, the intense heat of his fire melting the concrete floor slightly.

Erza placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder to calm him. "Relax, Natsu," she said. "I'll handle this." Without waiting for an argument, she summoned her sword, rushed the fat man, and in seconds flat, he was lying unconscious on the floor.

"Um... was that their leader?" asked Wendy.

"Indeed it was," replied Erza.

"...How did these weaklings ever capture you again, Erza?" asked Lucy.

Erza blushed in shame. Of course they would ask her that question. "They... fed me drugged cake," she admitted with a bowed head. Predictably, everyone in the room collapsed in shock.

"You... need to lay off the sweets!" said Gray angrily.

"Like Hell, Gray," said Erza. "Like Hell."

* * *

><p>The slavers were taken into custody, the townspeople gave the team a generous reward, and the Fairy Tail mages were on the train home. Lucy had convinced Wendy to cast Troia on Natsu, so he and Erza had managed to grab some alone time with each other without the Salamander puking his guts out.<p>

It was Erza who spoke first. "You know, there was no reason to come after me," she said.

"No reason?" said Natsu. "My girlfriend didn't come home from her mission when she said she would. If that's not a good enough reason, I don't know what is!"

Erza frowned. "See, this is why you've never defeated me yet," she said sternly. "You're impulsive. You fly off the handle the first chance you get. You never think of a plan of attack. In fact, you didn't even think of the "smash the cage with Arms-powered Taurus" plan in the first place, did you?"

Natsu blushed. "Nah, that was all Lucy," he admitted. "The only plan I had at first was storming in, burning the bad guys to cinders, and saving you." With a smirk, he added, "And maybe giving you a little... 'post-rescue lovin.''"

Erza sighed."How can someone so hopeless give me so much hope for the future?" she muttered.

"I'm fire," said Natsu. "It's my nature to light the darkness for the people I love. And I love you, Baby Red." He wrapped his arms around Erza and left a ghost of a kiss on her neck, causing her to giggle.

"Love you too, Honey Dragon," she cooed, letting the warmth of Natsu's arms around her body remind her she was safe and sound.

* * *

><p><strong>Annnnnd here we go! Sorry it's not a wedding or anything awesome like that, but again, when I read More Than A Joke, I knew I had to write something for Natsu and Erza along those lines. Besides, the first part illustrated Natsu worrying about Erza, hence "W for Worry."<strong>

**But wow! Just three more letters and this project's done! About damn time, too! Then I'll be free to work on Lucky Star, which really oughta be fun. Or maybe I'll work on that Young Justice story I've been talking about. Nah, I'd rather wait for Insecurity to air.**

**Well, there's not that many X words that could work for what I want, plus, I've had this brewing ever since I started, so you can expect the next chapter up relatively fast. Until then, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


	24. X is for Xylophone

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to more of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Today's letter is... X for Xylophone! Because there's really not much else. What, did whoever wrote the alphabet have some sort of vendetta against the letter X or something? I mean, why else would next to nothing start with it? I guess X is just the Luvdisc of the alphabet. Or Farfetch'd, depending on your preferred generation of Pokemon.**

**The concept has been kicking around in my head ever since I first started this challenge, which was just under a year ago. Never thought I'd still be doing this in the twilight of April. Once again, this didn't come out at all like I planned, but for now, I'm satisfied with how it did come out, so... here you go.**

**Finally, before we begin, I just want to say how much I appreciate everyone's reactions to my Young Justice oneshot (even if your typical Young Justice fan doesn't read Fairy Tail fanfiction). Six reviews, and plenty of favorites and alerts. Meanwhile, people avoid my NatsuxErza stuff like the plague. Just a fair warning, though - I do not plan on writing any romance for Robin and Artemis, because as a rule, I don't mess with canon couples, and as of Auld Acquaintance... (see bottom for spoilers)**

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. I own Faye and Tai Dragneel.**

* * *

><p>Erza Dragneel strode down the streets of Magnolia with a sense of accomplishment. She had completed yet another S-Class quest, and if everything went as it should, her husband should have done the same.<p>

It felt good to have this sort of freedom in her mission schedule again. Now that Faye and Tai were old enough to join the guild, they felt more at ease going on missions together. However, this time around, Natsu had a job that called for a fire mage, so Erza was working alone this time.

She reached the house where she and her family lived, and opened the door to find Faye eating a torch, Tai polishing his armor, and... a xylophone in her living room.

"NATSU!" she bellowed.

"Huh. Guess Dad's in trouble again," said Faye to her younger brother.

"What else is new?" muttered Tai. He loved his father dearly, but sometimes, he just wanted to punch the idiot in the mouth.

Natsu hurried down the stairs, eager to get his suffering over with. "Oh, hi, Erza! You're back already!" he said nervously.

"What do you mean 'already?' You obviously finished your job before I did mine!" said Erza. Pointing to the xylophone, she asked, "What is this?"

"It's a xylophone," said Natsu, trying to keep his composure.

"I can see that," said Erza dryly. "I mean, _where_ did you get a xylophone? And for that matter, how did you pay for it?"

"Would you believe it was a reward for my mission?" he said hopefully.

"No," said Erza flatly.

"Seriously, who would give a xylophone as a reward?" said Tai.

Natsu sighed. "I bought it with my reward money," he admitted. Upon his confession, Erza punched her husband, sending him flying across the room.

"Ouchie-mama!" said Faye with a grin.

"You got that right," agreed Tai.

"That reward was supposed to go towards groceries for the month!" scolded Erza angrily. "Now what are we going to do for food?"

"Erza, relax! I won a bet with Laxus, and he has to buy all our groceries for a month!" said Natsu.

"Hey, that's just convenient enough to work!" said Tai.

"You should have more faith in me, Tai," said Natsu.

"Aye! Natsu has a plan!" said Happy, who had just flown down to see the commotion.

Erza raised an eyebrow. "Really now?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Aye!" said Natsu. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to practice." He walked over to the xylophone, picked up the sticks, and began to play a disjointed tune, much to Erza's annoyance.

The Titania sighed. This xylophone thing was going to drive her insane.

* * *

><p>Three days later, the Dragneels, save their patriarch, were hanging out at the guild. Tai sipped on some cream soda as he watched his mother and sister tear into a strawberry cake Mirajane had baked.<p>

Lucy came up to the family, looking like she wanted something. "Hi, Tai. Where's your dad?" she asked.

Tai shrugged. "He's home playing with that stupid xylophone," he said disinterestedly.

"Still?" said Lucy with a frown. "He hasn't been to the guild since he got back! I should really talk to him about this!"

"Don't bother, Lucy," said Tai. "He's deadset on learning some song or something. Says he has to do it in time for his and Mom's anniversary."

Lucy gasped. "You don't mean...?"

"What do I mean?" asked Tai.

Seeing Tai honestly didn't know, Lucy decided not to say anything. "You'll understand when it's their anniversary," she said. With that, she decided to check on Cana and make sure she didn't overdrink as she normally did.

Meanwhile, Tai glanced at his mother, seemingly oblivious to his conversation with the woman. "Whatever that song is, it must have some sort of meaning for them," he said to no one in particular. He took a sip of his beverage and decided to look for someone to spar with, since it was obvious Faye wasn't going anywhere soon.

* * *

><p>The day of his parents' anniversary arrived, and Tai still didn't get what was up with that song his father wanted to learn. Whatever it was, if he didn't have anything for his mother, the old man was dead, and Tai kind of needed his father alive.<p>

"Tai!" The young mage heard the frantic cry of Happy as he flew into the guild. "Where's Erza?" the Exceed asked.

"I think she was talking with Master about something," said the second-generation Requip mage, confusion evident on his face. "Why?"

"It's your dad! It's an emergency!" said Happy frantically. "Erza needs to come home right away!"

Tai's eyes widened. What had happened to his father? "We're on our way!" he said. "Faye, get Mom!"

"Aye!" said the Dragon Slayer girl as she ran off to the Master's office. "Mom!"

Not ten minutes later, the Dragneels, sans Natsu, were rushing home to find out what had happened to their husband and father. Erza kicked open the door in true Titania fashion and barged into the foyer, brandishing her sword.

"Natsu, we're here! What happened?" she asked frantically. Her only response was Natsu playing that damn xylophone. Except... this time, there was a familiar melody playing. Natsu's voice joined in, and in that moment, Erza understood.

It was that song. The song they danced to on their wedding day. That one song that perfectly exemplified how each felt about the other. It was a song about love, protection, and a bond that can weather even the harshest of storms. Even with the nasty scar of infidelity, even after two wonderful children, the message of that marvelous song still rang true after all these years, and it still enchanted her every time she heard it.

"Natsu..." The Dragon Slayer had finished playing, and was now hugging his wife close to his chest.

"I love you, Erza," said Natsu. "I can't imagine my days without coming home to see your beautiful smile."

"I love you, too, Natsu," said Erza. She gave Natsu a chaste kiss, and in the blink of an eye, resumed her battle mode. "Now, what's the emergency?"

"...This _was_ the emergency," said a clearly confused Natsu.

Erza stared at Natsu for a few moments, an unamused look on her face. Finally, she hit her husband over the head.

"You idiot! We thought you were hurt!" shouted Erza.

"Well, I am now!" said Natsu, wincing in pain.

"Romantic fool!" muttered Erza.

Tai and Faye exchanged a look. It said, without mincing words, "Those two were made for each other."

* * *

><p><strong>...Spitfire becomes canon. Also, this seemed a lot longer on OpenOffice.<strong>

**Speaking of Young Justice, Usual Suspects at least gave me hope for that hero persona I came up with for Jade/Cheshire. I mean, we all saw her walk away from Sportsmaster, so the optimist in me wants to think that she's giving up the assassin game to follow Artemis's example and try to become a hero, even though it's more likely she's going solo. But then again, the DCU's been bastardized enough already, a little thing like Cheshire being a good guy won't make much more difference. Not that I pay attention to the mainstream continuity, I just check the DC Wiki whenever I need information on a character.**

**Anyway, I have visions for Y and Z, and I hope to finish ABCs on the 8th, exactly a year since I uploaded Awestruck. Full circle FTW! So until then, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


	25. Y is for Years

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to the penultimate chapter of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza!" Can you frickin' believe it? Anyway, today's letter is Y for Years!**

**Honestly, the fact that this story's almost done puts me at a loss for words, so... I guess we'll just get right into it!**

**I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does. Anything not instantly recognizable is my own creation.**

* * *

><p>The Fairy Tail Guild was as noisy as it ever was. Chairs were being flung, punches were flying left and right, but through it all, everyone was just having a good time and enjoying being in each other's company.<p>

Erza was listening patiently as Faye told her mother the story of her latest mission. She had worked with a representative from Blue Pegasus on this one, and every sentence seemed to make her more excitable. The Titania couldn't help but smile at her daughter: she had inherited her father's sense of pride, and even at seventeen years old, her eyes still lit up as she talked about beating up bad guys and saving the day like she had only done it for the first time then and there.

Suddenly, the large double doors opened, and the postman appeared at the entrance, driving a large wagon of mail, all of which appeared to be for various Fairy Tail members. "Mail call!" the postman announced.

Suddenly, Faye leapt up. "Out of my way!"she yelled as she barged through the crowd, taking the mail without so much as a care for the protests of the guild members.

"Manny... Nico... Aaron..." Faye rattled off names, flinging their letters here and there until she found what she was looking for. With a girlish squeal, she clutched the letter close to her chest and left the guild at a speed not even Chet could manage.

Erza laughed silently to herself. Ever since Faye had started seeing that nice young man from Blue Pegasus (though when your measuring stick is Ichiya, it's not that hard to seem nice in comparison), she'd had a change in her demeanor. She was still every bit as brash as her father ever was, yet at the same time, she had started acting slightly more girly, such as worrying about her appearance whenever Master Gildartz requested she accompany him to the regular meeting, the knowledge that her boyfriend would be there burning in her mind.

Of course, it also saddened Erza to think that her baby girl was growing up. She wondered if that was how Makarov felt when she and Natsu started dating. She looked at Natsu, then at Tai, and shared a look with her son.

"What's got Faye all excited?" asked Natsu.

"Nothing, Natsu," said Erza serenely. Natsu wasn't convinced, but he didn't press the issue.

* * *

><p>Back at the house, Natsu was just cleaning up the dishes from dinnertime. He had put them into the sink for immediate washing (because the sooner it got done, the less Erza nagged at him about it) when he noticed a piece of paper on the countertop. She would have left it alone, except the paper had the emblem on Blue Pegasus on it, and it just so happened to have been addressed to Faye.<p>

"That letter is none of my business," said Natsu to himself.

"_But what if it's from a stalker?"_ the voice inside his head asked.

"Shit!" yelled Natsu, his paternal instincts kicking in as he snatched up the paper and began to read.

"_Dearest Faye,_

_ Your performance on our recent joint mission was truly breathtaking. I fear no words may adequately express the sheer beauty of your fire, graceful and deadly all at the same time. It's not often enough that I get to see you dance among the flames. No, for every second I look at you, I want one minute more by your side._

_ I want to see you again, whenever you are able. I wish for this very moment, but alas, I must accept that you have your own guild to worry about. Still, I will count the days until I hold you in my arms once more._

_With love,_

_Vincent"_

With every word he read, Natsu's rage grew. Some Blue Pegasus playboy was romancing his daughter! How long had this been going on? Who knows what they could have done on that mission? He threw the letter down on the ground and left before he took out his fury on the entire house. Only when he was deep in the woods did Natsu let loose the full extent of his rage.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Natsu trudged home dead tired. Erza was waiting for him in the foyer. "Natsu... where were you last night?" she asked impatiently.<p>

"Out," mumbled Natsu.

"Out where?"

"Training." He looked around. "Where are the kids?"

"Already at the guild," said Erza.

Natsu sighed. He needed to get this thing off his chest to his wife as soon as possible. "Erza... we need to talk about Faye," he said.

"What about Faye?" she asked cautiously.

"She has a..." Natsu couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Faye has a what?" prompted Erza, more worried than before.

"Faye has a boyfriend, okay?" Natsu yelled. "There, I said it!"

Erza sighed. "I knew this day would come," she said.

Natsu shot his wife an angry look. "Wait a minute! You knew?" he yelled.

"I've known for at least six weeks," replied Erza.

"Well, why didn't you tell me?" asked Natsu.

"That was for Faye to decide."

"Then why didn't _she_ tell me?"

"Probably because you tend to act like an overprotective father," said Erza. "A mode I affectionately like to call 'Daddy Dragon.'"

Natsu looked indignant at the apparently-not-so-new-nickname his wife had bestowed upon him. However, Erza didn't seem to notice.

"Faye's growing up, Natsu," she said. "And so is Tai." And all of a sudden, Natsu felt the full weight of seventeen years on his shoulders.

"I don't want them to grow up, Erza," said Natsu softly. "I just don't see why they have to. Why can't Faye be my little girl forever? Why can't Tai stay my little man?" His eyes started to water. "Damn it, Natsu, you are NOT allowed to cry!"

Erza took in the sight before her. Salamander Natsu could stand up to dark mages, powerful monsters, and unspeakable terrors with all the bravado his element represented. But so much as suggest his children were growing up, and he was instantly reduced to tears.

Erza embraced her husband. "They have to grow up, Natsu," she said. "They're living proof of the love we have for each other, through the good times... and the bad." She remembered her one-night stand with Jellal, thanking any deity that would listen that they were still together after that miserable affair.

"I guess you're right, Erza," said Natsu with a sigh. It would take some getting used to, but the idea of his children growing up was already starting to appeal to him.

Of course, he would have to pay a visit to Blue Pegasus and lay down the law with that Vincent punk before he was fully comfortable with the idea, but for now, he would make Erza feel the love that saw their children through the best years of their lives.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you go!<strong>

**As you can probably tell, I'm making Natsu and Erza quite a bit older than they've ever been. Speaking of, here's a little timeline. Natsu and Erza dated for five years before they got married, and Erza became pregnant with Faye not long after. Baby takes place about three months before Cheat, so if we start Natsu and Erza at 18 and 19 respectively, as of Cheat, they're 25 and 26, and Faye is still a year old. So when this chapter happens, Faye is 17, Natsu is 41, and Erza is 42. Kind of young, I know, but hey, at least they have the guild when they need help! :)**

**Also, some background on the names I used. Faye's boyfriend's full name is Vincent Stern, otherwise known as Starry Night Vincent. I don't know yet what kind of magic he uses, probably Light magic. His name obviously is a reference to Vincent Van Gogh, particularly the Starry Night. And Chet is Jet's son, who uses the same Speed magic he does. His name is derived from Cheetah, the fastest land mammal. Two of the names are throwaways, though one is a shoutout to a guy I know on TheSpeedGamers forums.**

**One more chapter to go, guys! Once that's done, I plan to write a proper ending to Lucky Star, since I neglected that for soooooooo long! I still want to use those evil characters I designed, particularly Ruby, so there will be a sequel to that. I do, however, plan to make the next chapter of LS the absolute last so I can put that one to rest. Oh, and there's still Meddling and the Scenes rewrite. Funny story about that, I wanted to wait until Yukino was named to actually continue it, because I wanted to include her in the Sabertooth group, but now the rumor mill is spinning with tales of her being the sacrifice for Arcadios's Eclipse plan. Geez, I hope he went through the Twilight and New Moon plans first. *is shot***

**You know what? I have a theory in mind! But for now, until whatever I decide to work on next, peace and love from Nightlingbolt!**


	26. Z is for Zigzag

**Hello, people. Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to the final chapter of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza," "Z for Zigzag!" I know, weird word for the final letter, but I think it makes sense, given the context.**

**Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed each chapter and supported me on this yearlong journey. I'd like to think I've evolved as a writer over the past year. It's even given rise to a couple of original ideas, but sadly, I still lack the confidence to actually type them up. Well, maybe someday, even though I'm not a writer by trade. I'm just an IT student with Asperger's who's spent his career trying to start his career. Even though my stories drive me crazy sometimes, writing them has kept me sane. It truly gives me some confidence to be able to have a completed multi-chapter story to my name, and hopefully, I'll be able to apply that same follow-through to my job search, because hey, I'm 22 years old and not getting any younger.**

**I think I've said all I need to say, so without further ado, the final (official) chapter of "The ABCs of Natsu and Erza."**

**I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

Natsu Dragneel had a lot to think about in the past twenty-four hours. Erza, currently the Master of the Fairy Tail Guild as well as his wife, had decided that when she passed on, he would take her place. To that end, she had shown him Lumen Histoire, the guild's greatest secret, just as Laxus had shown her, Gildartz had shown him, and as the other past Masters had done.

Needless to say, he was overwhelmed. Never in his 96 years of living had he imagined Fairy Tail would harbor something like... that! How did the old man react? Gildartz, Laxus... Erza? Well, obviously it didn't change anything for them, and he wouldn't let it change anything for him, either. Fairy Tail had been his home since he was a boy. To turn his back on it in his twilight years would be nothing short of a disgrace.

With that thought of conviction, he made his way to the second floor of the guild to join Erza in watching the members' antics. "Mornin', Erza!" he greeted.

Erza looked up from her knitting and smiled back at him. At 97 years old, her magical power had started to deplete on its own. It wouldn't be long before it was all gone, leaving her powerless to protect the guild. After that... she would see all their nakama that had left this world.

So she had chosen Natsu to become Fairy Tail's Ninth Master (technically Seventh Master; Gildartz had given Makarov back the postion, and only his death would convince him to take it again). True, she should probably have appointed someone younger than them, but Natsu's Dragon Slayer magic would ensure that he would live another thirty or forty years.

"Hello, Natsu," said Erza kindly. Old age had really taken off a lot of her edge.

Natsu frowned. "You're knitting again?" he said "That is such an old people hobby!"

Erza glared. "Well, you're no spring chicken yourself, Dragneel," she said sharply. A lot of her edge, but not all of it.

When they had started dating, Natsu lived in fear of Erza's fury. Almost eighty years later, he had become almost immune to it, and it had only served to make him smile.

"You kidding? I bet you a thousand Jewels I can kick Saru's ass right now!" said Natsu, referring to his grandson, currently an S-Class mage of the guild.

Erza sighed. Time had done nothing to dampen his fiery spirit. "Natsu, you're next in line to become Master," she sighed.

"So?"

"So you can't just pick fights with guild members!" said Erza sternly. "Your role is to set an example for the guild, and-"

"All right, all right, I don't need the damn lecture," said Natsu, holding up his hands in a surrender pose. In an effort to distract her, he said, "What'cha knitting?"

Erza's smile brightened. "A new guild tradition," she said happily, holding it up.

"Looks like a sweater to me," said Natsu. He was right. It was a black sweater with a vermillion zigzag pattern, adorned with blue Fairy Tail symbols.

"It's the Master's Sweater," explained Erza. "The intent is for each new Master of Fairy Tail – this means you – to wear it on their first day."

"Erza, it's July," said Natsu. "I may be a Fire Dragon, but even I get hot wearing a wool sweater during the summer!"

"It would only be for one day, Natsu," said Erza. "And I worked hard on this sweater. All my memories of Fairy Tail have culminated into this one sweater. It's my fondest wish that by wearing it, our successors inherit the beautiful memories we have of this guild." She looked at her husband with pleading eyes. "Please, Natsu."

Natsu smiled. Erza really was passionate about that sweater. How could he say no to that same passion that had made him fall in love with her when they were young? "All right, Erza," he said. "I'll wear it. But just for my first day as Master, and that's it."

"Wonderful!" said Erza brightly. "And Natsu..."

"Yes, Erza?"

"I made that sweater with you in mind."

Natsu could only blush at his wife's confession. She still had it in her after all these years.

July 7th. 85 years since Igneel had left him. Natsu had briefly seen him again in the final struggle to destroy Zeref and Acnologia once and for all, but once and for all, he and the other dragons had left the world of humans once and for all. Though it pained him and his fellow Dragon Slayers, they had all come to the realization that as long as dissidents like Acnologia existed, humans and dragons could never peacefully share the world.

Eventually, the pain had dulled, but the date still left Natsu with an ache every year. Still, he'd always had Erza, his friend, his comrade, and finally his wife to help him muddle through. He turned to look at his still-sleeping wife and Guild Master... only to see her not moving.

Natsu sniffed the air, but could not detect her scent. He gently cupped her face, but her skin had turned cold. She had a contented smile on her face, but she gave no reaction. A tear slid down his cheek as he realized she was with Lucy and the others now.

"Fate has a cruel sense of irony, huh, Igneel?" Natsu whispered. "Who would have figured you and Erza would leave me on exactly the same day?"

An hour later, Wendy had arrived at their home. She looked over Erza's body before deciding she had died of natural causes. "We've lost many of our nakama over the years," she said. "It never gets any easier."

Natsu gave a grim smile. "Not a bit," he agreed. "I remember Gray's funeral. I bawled like a baby!" He laughed at the memory. "I bet the bastard had a good laugh about it."

Wendy gave the older Dragon Slayer a glare, but inside she was smiling. Even with Gray gone, Natsu still hated his guts, and that was something she held onto as the next few generations took their rightful places as mages of Fairy Tail.

"I have to tell my kids the news," said Natsu. "Funeral to plan, and all."

Wendy nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss, Natsu," she said.

"Thank you," replied Natsu. "And for future reference, it's Master now. Erza appointed me before she died."

"Of course, Master," said Wendy. With that, she excused herself, using her magic to move the body.

Natsu sighed again. "I'm going to need your help on this, Erza," he said. "You, Laxus, Gildartz, Makarov... help me make this guild what it deserves to be."

He slipped on the zigzag sweater – the Master's Sweater, as Erza called it, and with one more glance at the bed they had once shared, he whispered the last words he would ever say to his beloved.

"Sleep tight, Baby Red."

The Ninth Master left his home, leaving behind a single tear.

* * *

><p><strong>And lo, it is done.<strong>

**I had mixed feelings about killing off Erza. On the one hand, killing off a character for any reason distresses me, one of the reasons why I will probably never write professionally. But on the other hand, I wanted to convey a sense of finality to the story, and I think this was the best way possible.**

**So what's next for Nightlingbolt? Well, I still need to give you guys something to finish off Lucky Star with, then I'll put up a poll to see which of my ideas you guys want me to focus on. Scenes has at least one more chapter before it goes on indefinite hiatus, and Meddling doesn't seem to be that popular. There will be a sequel to Lucky Star, but it's not likely to come out any time soon. Speaking of Lucky Star, I may rewrite the beginning to fit in between Edolas and Tenrou Island. But of course, there's the issue of Mest/Doranbolt to wor****ry about, which may in turn give rise to a side-story regarding his involvement in the Grimoire Heart war... Meh, I don't think it's worth the effort.**

**One more important detail: This story is, for all intents and purposes, complete, and will be listed as such. However, that does not mean I'm totally done with ABCs. There will be side stories later on. For example, Natsu and Erza dealing with the aftermath of the Cheat trilogy, as well as their wedding. I'm also open to suggestions for stories revolving around the characters exclusive to this fic (Faye, Tai, Shizuka, etc.), though I can't promise anything will be done straightaway. They'll come as I get ideas.**

**So in closing, thank you all for reading this, thank you all for your positive reviews (except one of you... You know who you are!), thank you for your criticism, and as always, I hope to provide more NatsuxErza fanfiction. So until my next project, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


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